Coming back to a different reality
by Princessatsea
Summary: Set in the present season/time. Ty gets back from Afghanistan and is confronted by the recent developments. How will he react? (This is not a Bemmett fanfic)
1. Return

_**East Riverside, January 2015**_

Ty arrived at his flat in East Riverside and took a deep breath when he opened the door. He was finally home and in one piece. This last tour had been short – only 6 months – yet the deadliest he'd been on. He was sure that if the President hadn't decided to pull out the troops that he wouldn't have made it. In fact, it had been so deadly that they were given two months leave until they had to report back.

Ty shivered. The house was freezing. He turned on the heater and started unpacking. He longed for a beer, yet the fridge was empty. He momentarily pondered whether to nip out to the grocery store but decided against it.

"Tomorrow" he thought to himself as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

He was startled by the doorbell ringing a few hours later. He blinked and realized that he must have slept much longer than he thought, as it was light outside. He got up and walked towards the door rubbing his eyes. He smiled when he saw Mary-Beth carrying coffees and a bag of food.

"Breakfast" she said cheerily as she walked past him into the lounge "Welcome back!"

Ty followed her and hugged her once she'd set everything down.

"You're a sight for sore eyes. How did you know I was back?" He looked puzzled.

"You told me in your last e-mail that you're coming back this week. I bumped into Carter yesterday at the mall and he told me you were on a flight due to land in the evening. I thought you might like some breakfast."

Ty nodded gratefully "I'm ravenous!"

He emptied the contents of the bag onto the table and popped a bagel in the toaster. When he turned back to look at MB he was surprised to see that she was crying. He quickly walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"MB, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Mary-Beth smiled through her tears "You're in one piece. I was so afraid you weren't going to be. It's over now. Afghanistan. It's finally over. I'm so relieved."

Ty felt tears stinging in his eyes as he held her close "It is. Unfortunately too late for some..."

They stood in silence for a couple of minutes, mourning the ones who hadn't been as fortunate.

They were interrupted by the popping sound of the toaster. Mary-Beth wiped her eyes.

"Time to eat" She said with a smile.

Once they'd settled down Ty asked Mary-Beth to fill him in on everything. Mary-Beth cheerily told him about her college life, Travis and her part-time job waiting tables at a restaurant across from college. Ty listened without interrupting; he enjoyed her carefree chatter and found himself relaxing as he listened to her. She stopped talking and he smiled at her.

"I'm so relieved to see you like this MB; it means so much to me that you're happy."

Mary-Beth sighed "I guess I'm happy. A part of me died when he did and I'll never be the same person again. Sometimes I feel guilty when I'm with Travis and I'm carefree. Like, I'm betraying his memory."

Ty put his hand on top of hers and squeezed it.

"Don't be MB, he wouldn't have wanted that. He'd want for you to be happy; he knows that you'll never forget him."

Mary-Beth nodded with moist eyes "I think you're right."

They sat together in silence. Ty rubbed his hands together and wiped his face.

"MB…tell me about her."

Mary-Beth frowned and then nodded "Yes…I thought you were going to ask now that you're back."

Ty nodded slowly "After you told me that you'd broken your promise I was angry. Hearing that she was with that frat boy doesn't exactly make me happy, but it was the choice I made. Is she ok?"

Mary-Beth shrugged "Not really. I don't hang out with her much anymore. She's on probation for trespassing and wrecking public property. She was doing some community service. She broke-up with Tank around the time I told her about you. Then she hooked-up with Emmett again. Now I don't know, because she claims she was raped by Tank while she was passed-out drunk and…"

"Whoahhh…back-up a little bit. Are we talking about the same person? Probation? Raped? What the hell, MB! How come you never told me?"

Mary-Beth looked up "You never asked about her. I didn't know if you wanted to know. I haven't been with her lately, its stuff I hear from Travis. Things were never the same between us ever since she started dating Tank."

Ty knew somewhere in his head that he was better off not knowing, that he should just forget her and move on with his life. His head said one thing, his lips spoke another.

"Tell me all you know." He looked at Mary-Beth.

Mary-Beth sighed loudly and spent the next half hour picking her brains as to what she knew. Ty looked incredulously at her.

"Bay breaking and entering and wrecking property? That seems nothing like her. I find that almost impossible to believe."

"Well, believe it or not, it's what happened. She confessed to the police, there were witnesses. Maybe there's sides to her you haven't seen." Mary-Beth retorted.

"Hmmm" Ty didn't look convinced "I hope I never come across Tank. I'll kill him!"

Mary-Beth looked upset "Ty, she's an adult, she has to look out for herself. Getting so drunk that she can't remember what happened is irresponsible and an affront to women."

Ty shrugged angrily and shook his head "MB, everyone gets drunk at one time or another. Did she consent to have sex with the guy?"

He was surprised at the pang he felt when he uttered those words.

"She doesn't know, Ty, how can you get so wasted that you don't remember?"

"So, she could've been raped." Ty felt rage seeping through his whole body.

"And she could've consented. She doesn't know. In the meantime Tank got expelled. Do you think that's fair?"

Ty snorted loudly "Do I think that's fair? He should've been jailed for all I care."

Mary-Beth got up "I'm not discussing this anymore. You're just like Travis. Everyone takes her side. Maybe it's because you're not at college. Have you seen how often these things happen?"

Ty also got up. He looked even angrier "No, MB, I'm not at college and I'll never be. I'm in the Army. Do you know how often these things happen over there? A lot! And while it's not always black and white, more often than not it's the fault of the guys."

"Suit yourself, Ty. I just don't see it. I couldn't care less about Tank, but he shouldn't have been expelled over this. Are you going to call her?"

Ty mulled over his answer "No, she's got enough on her plate. I don't think talking to me will help."

_**Hi everyone, I am back after a long time away. I hope you enjoy this new Fanfic, I have no idea where it's going as always. Any suggestions? I look forward to your reviews. **_


	2. Storm

Ty finished his coffee. He felt miserable. His first morning back and already a fight with one of his few friends. MB had left less than happy and he hoped that they would be able to make amends sooner than later.

He looked at his watch and decided to take a shower before heading downtown to collect his truck and check with the Army Health Centre regarding the follow-up visits for returning soldiers. He looked at the rain outside and felt his spirits lift slightly. It was nice to hear those rain drops falling after the relentless heat in Afghanistan. Maybe the day wouldn't be as bad after all.

Across town someone else was miserably looking out of the window at the rain. It was noon and Bay was still in bed. For the past two weeks, this was the spot she felt safest, since Emmett had broken up with her. Her parents and Daphne had repeatedly tried to pry her out of her room, only to be met with silent resistance. She felt so tired. At night she tried to sleep only to be plagued by nightmares of that drunken night, and she woke up with bile rising in her stomach. For the remainder of the nights she tossed and turned trying to remember but everything was blank.

Bay heard her phone vibrating and listlessly moved to pick it up from the nightstand. It was a message from Daphne.

"Hey there Bay hope u feeling better could use some help with decorating the coffee place for the official opening tomorrow"

Bay sighed loudly. She really did not feel like decorating Regina's coffee shop. On the other hand she knew that she would have to leave her room at some point. Maybe decorating the coffee shop would be a good start. She texted her reply.

"Feel same. What time do you need me?"

Daphne replied instantly with a big smiley face.

"5 PM? Thanks so much"

Bay set the phone aside and checked her e-mail for a message from Emmett. There was none. Bay felt the tears in her eyes again. Why had she told him the truth? Why hadn't she just shut-up and let him think she was raped? Her life would've been easier; her relationship would've been saved. Yet, deep down she knew she was not that person; that she wouldn't have been able to keep quiet and would have ruined everything later on.

She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She cringed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her hair was matted and her skin was pale with huge shadows under her eyes. She must have lost some weight as her pants where nearly falling off. She quickly stepped into the shower and washed her hair for the first time in days.

Katherine and John looked up in surprise when they saw Bay looking almost like her old self. Kathryn smiled at her.

"Hi honey, it's so good to see you down here. Can I get you something to eat?"

Bay smiled wearily "Thanks, I'll have some coffee and a piece of toast."

John looked at her worriedly "I'm on my way out, do you need anything?"

"Thanks, dad, I'm just going to drive to Regina's coffee shop and help them decorate for tomorrow. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

John kissed her on the cheek "It's nice to see you up and about. I'll see you later." He put on his jacket and stepped out into the rain.

Kathryn watched Bay and cringed at the shadows under her eyes. It was so hard for her to see her daughter like that and feeling so helpless. She took Bay's hand into hers.

"Sweetie, we spoke about this before. Is there anyone you'd like to talk to about this?"

Bay shook her head "I want to get past it, the party, Emmett, I just want to forget."

"Sometimes talking to someone might help you process it and eventually forget." Kathryn tried again.

"No, mum, talking to that college counsellor was bad enough; I don't want to go through with it again. I'm ready to go out and help Daphne and Regina. Let's see how it goes."

Kathryn knew that tone and was smart enough to let it go. She was happy enough just to see her eating.

Bay decided to head out to the coffee shop earlier than planned. The rain was bad; it looked like another storm coming. Bay felt a knot in her stomach thinking about the last storm and her fight with Emmett. She pulled into a parking space in front of the coffee shop and pulled the hood over her head before running inside.

Regina looked up in surprise when she saw Bay come in. She patted Daphne on the shoulder and mentioned towards the door. Daphne turned around and smiled at Bay.

"You made it! And you're early! That's great. There's so much to do!"

Regina hugged Bay "I'm so happy to see you."

Bay managed a small smile "Let me know how I can help."

Regina tasked her with designing the menu boards on the wall and Bay climbed on a ladder and started writing. It took a long time as Bay had to climb down and move the ladder every couple of minutes.

Regina looked at the wall.

"Wow, Bay, great job! It looks great!"

Bay turned around and smiled proudly.

"I'm happy you like it! Where's your partner?"

Regina rolled her eyes "He has to sort out some of the financing with the banks, he'll be here tomorrow."

Daphne smiled "Talk about dodging a bullet. I'm starving." She signed.

Bay looked at the watch. It was past seven and there was still so much to do.

"Why don't I go out and get us something to eat? I can go to the taco place; it's just a few blocks down the road."

"Are you sure?" Regina asked "Here, let me give you some money."

"No. I've got it" Bay said as she picked-up her car keys. She was already out the door.

It was a full-fledged storm now and Bay ran to the car, trying to avoid as many puddles as possible. The afternoon hadn't been too bad, she thought to herself. She had even managed not to think about Tank and Emmett for a few hours. That could only be a good sign.

She was halfway to the restaurant when she realized she'd forgotten her wallet. "Damn" Bay muttered as she made a U-turn.

She carefully closed the coffee-shop door behind her so it wouldn't break in the wind and stepped inside again.

Bay was about to shout out to Regina when she overheard Daphne talking.

"If he doesn't keep his side of the bargain Bay and I could both go to jail."

"I think Nacho has been suitably scared away, Daphne. With any luck he won't be giving us any trouble. Promise me not to mention the story to anyone in the future."

"Oh mum, how could I've been so stupid?"

Bay was frozen to the spot. Nacho? Prison? What where they talking about? She felt a terrifying shiver running down her spine. She stepped into the room.

"Regina, Daphne, what are you talking about?"

Regina was startled and Daphne looked horrified.

"Nothing Bay, it's all sorted. Don't worry about it." Regina said.

Bay looked at her angrily "Daphne said I could go to prison. Don't tell me NOT TO WORRY!"

Regina sighed "You better sit down."

She told Bay what had happened and tried to re-assure her once more that the situation was taken care of.

Bay felt engulfed by rage. She turned to Daphne.

"You bitch! I took the bullet for you, I did the community service, and I missed out on college. FOR YOU! Is this how you repay me? By potentially sending us to prison?"

Daphne started crying.

"I'm sorry Bay, I don't know what to say."

"Really? Because that doesn't often happen to you, does it? How about not knowing what to say when you were with that creep? You could've kept your damn mouth shut then."

"Bay, enough" Regina interjected "It was a mistake and we solved it. Daphne feels terrible about it."

Bay turned puce.

"And you weren't going to tell me? I was supposed to wait at home for the police to be coming to the door?"

"Bay, it's fixed." Regina said lamely.

"Fixed? By your gangster boyfriend shoving his tattoo into Daphne's gangster boyfriends face? You call that fixed? I call that even more problematic by more people knowing about it. What if you break-up with him? He now has complete leverage over you!"

"Bay…" Regina tried to interrupt.

"You know what? Both of you can go to hell." Bay stormed out of the door.

She started running through the rain. As she ran she felt a wave of utter despair engulf her. Could anything possibly get worse? For the first time in her life she could understand why Justin had ended it. Was there anything worth living for? Bay shook her head and got those thoughts out. Tears were streaming down her face. She stopped at the corner and looked around. East Riverside did not look welcoming in the storm. She saw a hooded figure crossing the road towards her and she knew she had to get back to her car.

She started running in the direction she came from. She did not look back, but had an uneasy feeling that she was being followed. "Hey" She heard a voice behind her "Stop". Although she was feeling out of breath Bay ran faster. As she turned the corner she crashed into a figure. She felt two arms on hers and just as she was about to scream she hear her name being called "Bay?"

She knew that voice.

"Ty? Is that you?" She panted and bent over. Her lungs were threatening to explode.

"Yes. Bay, what the hell are you doing?" Ty said angrily.

"I was going to my car. I thought I was being followed. I'm so glad to see you."

Ty was trying to pick-up the groceries that had fallen out of the bags he was carrying when she had crashed into him. He heard her sneeze. He took off his jacket and put it around her.

"You are freezing cold. Come on, let's get you dry."

_**Thank you, thank you for your wonderful reviews. I cherish each one of them! I hope you enjoy the update. Let's see how it goes from her.**_


	3. Safety

They walked the short distance to his house. Bay clasped his hand forcefully. She'd been terrified for a moment back there. Ty opened the door and ushered her through. He placed the bags with the groceries on the counter and faced her. He did not look happy.

"Bay, have you lost your mind? Walking through this neighbourhood on a night like this? Something serious could have happened to you."

She looked at him and his face softened when he saw the look of despair on hers.

"You're soaking wet. Let me find you some clothes."

He disappeared into the bedroom and Bay looked around the room. It looked the same as it did two years ago. Had Ty kept it all this time? What was he doing here? She sneezed again, just as he came back. He handed her a sweatshirt, jogging bottoms and a towel. She looked at him thankfully.

"Go have a shower and change. You're going to catch pneumonia."

Bay locked the door in the bathroom and took off her clothes. The shower felt nice and she stayed in there until she felt warm again. She towelled her hair dry as much as possible and wrapped a towel around it. She dressed in the clothes Ty had provided and although they were too big on her they would do for now.

She went back into the lounge where Ty handed her a cup of coffee. Bay accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks." She sat on the couch.

Ty sat across from her and didn't say anything. She'd lost weight and those circles under her eyes looked terrible. As she sat there looking so small and fragile in his clothes, he felt a wave of hot rage seeping through his body.

Once he had gotten back from his errands at lunch time, he had looked for his laptop. Although he'd tried very hard not to think about her, MBs words resonated in his head. Having first googled the crime Bay had committed and not finding anything, he had googled Miles Conroy, aka Tank. Unfortunately for Ty there had been no lack of information there and Ty had seen plenty of photos and the blog about the alleged assault.

Seeing her huddled on his couch, he just wanted to drive a fist into Tank's face. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but if there was a chance that that bull of a man had forced himself onto her, he wasn't sure he'd be able to get himself under control.

Bay sipped her coffee grateful at the warmth flowing through her body. She looked at Ty and saw his face turn to stone. She started crying again.

Ty got up and knelt next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, please don't cry. Whatever it is, there must be a solution."

Bay started crying in earnest, her shoulders heaving.

"You don't understand…see…I might…be going…to prison." She hiccupped through her sobs.

Ty stood up and ran a hand across his face.

"MB told me this morning. Bay, how did…? I just don't see you doing such a thing."

Bay shook her head "I didn't."

Ty looked at her confused "You didn't? Then why did you get charged?"

"Oh Ty" Bay placed her head in her hands "It's all so complicated."

She tried to get up and felt dizzy. She sat back down.

"When did you last eat?" Ty asked.

"I don't know. I think I had a piece of toast this morning."

Ty walked towards the little kitchen.

"Right. Let me fix you something."

He quickly scrambled some eggs and handed her a sandwich. Bay thought she wouldn't be able to eat anything, but found herself biting into it. Ty watched her as she finished it off and wondered again as to how much she'd been eating lately.

He sat across from her again. He didn't say anything. Bay appreciated his silence. For weeks people had prodded her with question after question, hounding her for answers. She grew so tired of the interrogations that she had locked herself in her room. Yet, there sat Ty, clearly confused, but he didn't ask her anything.

"Since when are you back?" Bay asked.

"I got back yesterday."

Bay nodded in acceptance.

"Was it bad?" She asked.

"Yes."

They fell silent again. It could have been incredibly awkward, but it wasn't. Two people, who had a lot to say, yet weren't ready to talk. They respected each other's silence.

Ty got up to go to the bathroom. When he returned Bay was asleep. He was momentarily at a loss at what to do. Then he picked her up and laid her on his bed. He covered her with a blanket and went back into the lounge.

He looked through her pockets to see if he could find her phone. He found it and saw that she had 8 unanswered calls and numerous messages. They all seemed to be from Regina. As he didn't have her pin, he picked up his phone and looked for Regina's number.

He quickly texted her.

"**Bay is here and sleeping. Ty**"

His phone rang 10 seconds later. He picked up and heard the voice of a frantic Regina.

"Ty, I'm so glad she's ok. I've been going crazy with worry. Should I come over?"

"Hi Regina, she's safe and sound. I found her wandering the streets soaking wet. She's welcome to stay until she wakes up. I just wanted to let you know."

"Thanks Ty. How is she? We had a bad fight. I don't think she'll forgive me. Has she said anything?"

"No Regina, she hasn't. I have a feeling she isn't ready to talk. She was wet, cold, hungry and tired. Let her sleep it off, whatever it is."

"Ok Ty, I'm glad she's safe. I'll speak to you tomorrow. Oh, and welcome back I guess."

"Thanks Regina, I'll speak to you tomorrow."

He put his phone away and looked at his watch. It was almost 10. He opened a beer and took a sip. This was not how he'd expected his day to turn out. Whatever was going on with Bay was bad, he could tell that much. He thought back to their summer and how she'd welcomed him into her arms when he'd been all messed up and he vowed to himself to help her through whatever she was going through if she'd let him.

He quietly slipped into the bedroom to check on her. She was still sleeping soundly. He quietly took a blanket out of the closet and turned on a small bedside lamp. He did not want her to be startled if she woke up during the night. He closed the door and lay on his small couch. He covered himself and tried to get as comfortable as possible. He fell into a fitful sleep.

_Bay turned around on the small bed, she felt her boots being slipped off and heard a plop as they fell on the ground. She felt the mattress shifting and saw the blurry image of Tank's face above hers. She let out a silly laugh as she felt his kisses on her neck. _

"_Tank, what are doing?" She heard her voice in the distance._

"_You're so beautiful Bay, just relax, I'll make you feel good."_

_She heard herself laughing again "Don't be silly, Tank."_

_She lifted her body slightly and saw that she was wearing an orange jumpsuit. She screamed loudly._

Bay opened her eyes and wildly looked around the room. Where was she? She couldn't recall ever being in this room before. Her lungs shut down, she couldn't breathe.

She heard the door open and saw Ty barging into the room. She suddenly remembered.

"Ty, I can't breathe." She gasped.

He sat on the bed and put his hand on her neck. He pushed her head down gently.

"Take some deep breaths. You're ok, it was a nightmare. Everything is going to be ok."

Bay felt her breathing slowly return to normal. She looked up at Ty.

"I can't remember what happened. How can I not remember? I have the same dream every night."

He cringed at hearing the pain in her voice.

"It happens Bay, I've been there. One day your memories will come back and it will be when you least expect it. Don't force it."

Bay took his hand.

"Oh Ty, of course, I should know that you'd understand. It's so difficult for me to deal with this."

"I know, Bay."

Bay yawned. Ty got up.

"Try and go back to sleep, I'll be in the lounge."

Bay nodded.

"Can you stay a little bit? Until I'm sleeping?"

Ty lay on the bed. "Sure"

Bay turned her back to him and closed her eyes. She felt safer than she'd had in weeks.

_**So many beautiful reviews, thank you. Here you go, the Bay and Ty reunion you were asking for. I hope I did them justice, I did not want it to be a soppy story. They have a lot to deal with once they start talking. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. I miss Ty as well; the show isn't the same without him.**_


	4. Hope

Ty woke up at 7 AM and quietly got out of bed without waking Bay. He'd ended up falling asleep next to her and had never made it back to the couch. He'd slept soundly which meant that she hadn't suffered another nightmare.

He fixed himself coffee and read through his e-mails. He was startled by a knock on his door at 8 AM. Who could it be at this hour? He opened the door and saw John standing outside. Ty nodded at him and stepped aside to let him in.

Before John could speak, Ty raised a finger to his lips.

"She's asleep. She was in a bad way last night, she needs her sleep."

John nodded.

"Nightmare?"

"One. But she's been sleeping since then."

John quickly took in his surroundings, seemingly relieved to see the makeshift bed on the couch. Ty looked slightly embarrassed and started folding the blanket and stowed the pillow away.

"Would you like some coffee?" He asked John.

John nodded "Black is fine."

Ty poured the coffees and sat down next to John.

"Did Regina call you?" Ty asked.

"Yes, she was very upset. Would you care to tell me what's going on?"

Ty shrugged "I don't know. I just got back the day before yesterday. I was out buying some groceries when she slammed into me turning a corner. She was wet and crying so I brought her here. I was planning on driving her home, but she fell asleep on the couch. I carried her to the bed and called Regina. She told me they had fought, but nothing else. Bay didn't say much."

John nodded. He'd never heard Ty say so much in one go. The boy seemed genuinely concerned. They both turned around when they heard the door to the bedroom open. Bay stepped into the lounge.

"Dad?" She seemed surprised "How did you know I was here?"

"Regina called me." John saw Bay's face harden.

"How did she know?" Bay spat out.

"I looked for your phone after you fell asleep last night. She'd tried to call numerous times and sent you messages. I let her know you were ok. She was very worried." Ty interjected.

"I couldn't care less about Regina's worries." Bay said angrily.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" John asked.

Bay shrugged miserably "Can I get some coffee?"

Ty poured her some and found a muffin. He handed them both to her. Bay thanked him.

"Start at when you left our house" John said.

Ty saw Bay munching slowly on the muffin and he prepared to excuse himself.

"I think you two want to be alone. I'll go out for a run."

Bay held his arm.

"No, please stay. You'll hear about this sooner or later."

Ty sat back down across from them.

Bay related the story on how she'd felt good at painting the menu and how she'd gotten out to get the food , but had returned to hear Regina and Daphne talking. She told them about how she had confronted Regina and how the beans were spilled.

Ty looked at her incredulously and John turned puce with rage.

"Daphne told Nacho?" John said through his teeth.

"You took the fall for Daphne? What in God's name…" Ty blurted out at the same time.

John turned to Ty "I'll have it out with Daphne later. In the meantime, tell me what you know about this Nacho kid."

Ty rubbed his chin "I haven't seen or heard from him in years. He used to be an ok kid and then he started hanging out with the wrong crowd. The police had been keeping tabs on him for a while when I first left."

John looked worried "So he could be a loose cannon. I don't understand this whole gang tattoo business and I don't like it at all."

Bay was looking scared "What will happen if he goes to the cops? Will I go to jail?"

John rubbed his eyes "I don't know, honey."

Ty raised his hands "I don't know much about gangs. Fortunately I stayed away from them. I believe they have their own hierarchies and that Regina's boyfriend must have leverage over him, in which case he'll be less inclined to go to the police. Especially with a daughter and that he would implicate himself."

John nodded "I think you're right. The chances of that happening are slim to none. I'm so angry at Daphne right now. She cannot stop getting herself and this family into trouble. As for Regina, how could she try and keep this from us."

"I don't think I can ever forgive them for this." Bay spat out.

John patted her hand "The more I think about this, the more I think that guy was acting on a momentary impulse. He saw an opportunity and grabbed it. Now with the threat of Eric and the fact that he would go to prison if he goes to the police, I don't see it happening."

Bay looked momentarily relieved "So once I'm done with the community service and the parole, I'll be able to get on with my life?"

"I tend to agree with your father. Everything should work out." Ty said.

John got up "Time to take you home, young lady."

Bay nodded. She turned to Ty as if seeing him for the first time. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for everything. I'm sure I was being followed yesterday and God knows what would have happened if I hadn't run into you. I wasn't thinking."

Ty patted her hand "It's ok Bay. I'm glad I was there."

He saw her smile for the first time and his heart melted.

"I'm just going to put-on my clothes; they should be dry by now." She disappeared into the bathroom.

John got-up and extended his hand to Ty.

"Thank you for taking care of her, it means a lot to me."

Ty accepted his hand and nodded "I only did what anyone would've done Mr. Kennish."

"John, please." He patted Ty's shoulder.

Bay was back dressed in her clothes.

"Dad, my car if at the coffee shop, you need to drop me off there."

John nodded and Ty walked them to the door.

Bay kissed his cheek "I'll call you."

Ty nodded and closed the door behind them.

_**I wanted to make this chapter longer, but I need to reorganize my thoughts and do a lapse for the next one. So it is slightly shorter than my average chapter.**_

_**You guys are AMAZING, I can't believe the feedback you're giving me when I was thinking that everyone would be suffering from Bay/Ty fatigue. **_

_**Your reviews keep me going and I also like suggestions. I will try and incorporate your wishes into the story in one way or the other, so keep them coming.**_


	5. Processing

Bay woke up the next day and got ready for her last stint of community service. She had only 19 days to go and one month of probation after that, and then she was free.

Her expression soured when she saw the officer who was assigned to her group, recalling the times he'd picked on her. Then she cheered up slightly when she saw Tess.

"Hey there Tess, how's it going?" She smiled as she put-on her orange coloured vest.

"What's it to you?" sneered Tess.

Bay wasn't taken aback by Tess's attitude. By now she was used to it.

"I don't know, just trying to make conversation. We'll be spending the next two weeks side by side after all."

"Great." said Tess.

"How's your son?" Bay asked.

"Same as always, he has a doctor's appointment next week; it's a specialist so it's going to cost me a fortune."

Bay looked at her worriedly "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Bay, I don't need your charity, I've dealt with it so far, and I will continue to deal with it." Tess snapped.

"Ok, ok, I get it." Bay said although she didn't really.

They worked silently side by side for the next hour.

-"-

In the meantime, Ty had just finished his appointment with the psychologist. He hated these mandatory appointments; he wished he didn't have another eight to go to. Not a barrage of psychologists would ever help him forget what he had witnessed.

He'd been thinking about Bay the whole morning, and as much as he knew he should forget her, he just couldn't. He arrived at his house at lunch time and decided to text her.

"**Hey Bay, how u doing?**"

There he'd done it. Nothing good could come out of this. He had to wait another hour for a reply.

"**Hi Ty, am doing community service. Couldn't text until my break.**"

Ty shook his head. Thinking about how she'd taken the hit for Daphne made him so angry. He really wanted to see Bay. No! He needed to see her. He quickly typed.

"**Do you feel like hanging out? Movie and diner?**"

He felt his gut twisting as he anxiously waited for her reply. He could see that she was writing it…what was taking her so long? Finally, a ting.

"**Sure, when?**"

He didn't want to seem intrusive, then he just thought, what the hell, go for it.

"**Tonight? Pick you up at 6?**"

"**Ok**"

He couldn't believe the relief flooding through his body when he saw those two letters. His brow furrowed when he thought that they would have to discuss the "cheating" and as much as he didn't feel like it, he knew there was no way around it. Bay was not one to let it go. He hoped that she would understand what made him do it; he prayed that she would forgive him.

-"-

Bay stared at the phone. She was surprised at the jolt that went through her. Ty was back and they were going on a date. No! Not a date! They were going to hang-out, period. He must think of her as a basket case after what had happened yesterday. She felt the hurt come back as she thought about their summer and how it had ended. It didn't matter that he hadn't cheated; he had still lied to her. They would have to talk about it. The last thing she wanted was for Ty to see her as a charity case.

The more she thought about their evening ahead, the more she liked the idea. She thought on how he'd taken her in the day before, no questions asked, and how well she'd slept once he lay down next to her. He must have been carrying his own baggage, coming back from a war zone, yet he'd made sure that she was comfortable.

"You look deep in thought." Tess snapped her out of her reverie.

Bay smiled "I got a lot on my mind."

Then she thought about what Tess must have on her mind and felt embarrassed at her own problems.

A few hours later Bay picked-up the final piece of trash. She looked at her watch and saw that it was already five. She quickly said goodbye to Tess and hurried to her car. She still had to shower and change.

When she got home, she stopped by the kitchen to say hello to her parents. Kathryn smiled at her.

"Hi honey, how was your day?"

"It was fine mum, just another day picking up the trash. I'll never litter again! I have to run, I'm going to movies and diner with Ty in half an hour."

Bay missed John rolling his eyes at Kathryn.

At 6 on the dot Ty parked his truck outside the house and rang the doorbell. John opened the door and shook his hand.

"I didn't expect to see you that soon, Ty."

Ty put his hands in his pockets "Hi John, I just thought that she could use a night out."

John nodded less than convincingly as he heard Bay bouncing down the stairs.

She smiled at Ty "Am ready when you are."

Together they walked to his truck.

Once Ty was on the road he turned towards Bay "What do you want to do? Movie, diner? Diner, movie?"

Bay thought for a second "I'm actually quite hungry, can we do diner first? And somewhere we can talk privately?"

Ty sighed inwardly "Sure, I passed a group of food trucks on the way here, I'm not sure what they are, it seems to be some gathering, but it's open space. Do you want to go there? It's not too cold today."

Bay nodded. "That sounds good."

Ty drove towards East Riverside and soon they had reached their destination. They decided on the Mexican food truck and found a secluded table in the back underneath a garland of lights.

Bay looked up "This is so much nicer than a restaurant."

Ty divided their food between them and they started eating. They didn't speak for a while.

"Bay, I…"

"Look Ty…"

They smiled at their simultaneous outburst, and then turned serious.

"Ty, we need to talk."

Ty nodded and looked at his watch "Yes, I know. I guess we'll have to go to the movies another night."

"You hurt my feelings Ty. You lied to me and let me believe that you had cheated. That was the worst thing you could have done."

Ty rubbed his eyes "I know, Bay, my head wasn't right, I'm actually not sure it will ever be. I feel terrible about it. It was too much for me to process at the time. You wanting to move to Germany, me being sent back to Afghanistan, MB going through was she was going and hearing Emmett's speech…I just….I froze and that seemed the best way out."

Bay cringed at the mention of Emmett and it wasn't lost on Ty.

"It wasn't right, Ty. I could have handled it. I would have handled it. You didn't give me a chance. I thought I meant more to you than that."

Ty looked anxious "Don't you think I know that Bay? I got to Afghanistan and after one week I was ready to tell you. I felt terrible. I sent you an e-mail, you never replied, I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

It was like a light went on in Bay's brain.

"The e-mail…I…I was so angry, I deleted it. Oh Ty!"

"It wouldn't have changed anything; I just wanted to let you know I hadn't cheated. I would never. I'd still not have wanted for you to wait for me. Bay…you…you don't know how bad it was, I had a few close calls, I was sure I wouldn't come out alive."

Bay smiled "I'm so happy you did."

Ty nodded and extended his hand "Friends?"

Bay shook it solemnly "Friends."

It was as if the air had changed around them. They were interrupted by a food truck employee trying to fold the tables.

"We're closing. Sorry guys."

Ty looked at Bay "Do you want to go for a walk?"

Bay nodded "I'd like that."

They walked towards a small park.

"So, how are feeling after yesterday?" Ty asked.

"Better. I'm not too worried about Nacho anymore. Thank you for helping me."

Ty nodded slowly "I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I really would like to know how you got yourself into this…situation."

Bay let out a sigh "Oh Ty, how big is this park? It will take a while to tell you."

Ty laughed "We can always walk around it twice…"

Ty was amazed as he heard Bay tell her story. They had walked back to his truck and he placed a hand on the hood and scratched his head.

"Wow, Bay, I don't know what to say."

Bay looked at the floor "You don't approve, I know."

Ty shook his head "Frankly speaking, I don't, it actually makes me angry that you did what you did and even angrier that Daphne let you do it."

Bay nodded "Yes, you're not the only one."

Ty took a deep breath "On the other hand I admire you for it. I know that I would never have done it."

"You don't know that Ty. I thought the same. When it happened I felt it was the right thing to do. And I've not really regretted it…until yesterday and now I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Ty put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure everything will work out and that Nacho won't do anything. You can't keep thinking about it. Just focus on getting on with your life. You've been punished enough."

Bay smiled "Maybe you're right." She got into the truck.

Bay nearly dozed off on the way home. She stretched once the truck came to a halt in front of her parents' house. She turned towards Ty.

"This was nice."

Ty nodded "It was. Let's do it again soon."

Bay kissed his cheek "For sure."

_**I wanted to get out one more chapter before the weekend. I hope you like it. For all the Bemmett fans out there, this is not a Bemmett fanfic and it will never be. There are a lot of talented authors out there who have written great stories about Bemmett, I'm just not one of them. I look forward to your reviews as always. **_


	6. Inspiration

Bay wiped the sweat off her brow as she walked around the perimeter fence at a park in downtown KC. It was not a hot day, but the combination of the sun and the garish orange polyester vest was enough to make her hot.

"15 more days, 15 more days, 15 more days" She kept telling herself in her head.

She looked behind her and saw Tess looking worriedly at her phone. What could have happened now? Bay was almost afraid to ask, as she was likely to get rebuffed again, like when she'd delivered the diapers two days earlier. It made her sad, as she really only wanted to help.

"Hey jailbird, you want some lunch?" Bay was interrupted in her thoughts.

She looked up and saw Ty standing next to her.

"Don't call me that." Bay punched him on the shoulder playfully.

Ty laughed "I couldn't resist when I saw you wearing that thing." He pointed at the vest.

Bay smiled "It's horrible. What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area and I thought you might like some Alabama Al's…But if you're going to hit me, I'll just go home and eat it myself."

Bay was already grabbing the bag "Don't you dare…!"

They found a bench in the shade under the watchful eye of the supervising officer. He must have been about to say something nasty, but Bay guessed that Ty's uniform had made him swallow whatever he was about to say.

"Why are you in uniform?" Bay asked.

"I had an appointment with my psychologist, so I had to wear it."

Bay nodded. She saw Tess looking at them and she waved at her. Tess made her way over slowly. Bay smiled.

"Come Tess, sit with us. We have way too much food. You cannot miss this chance to have my favourite fried stuff."

Tess nodded and looked at Ty. Bay got-up.

"I'm so rude, I forgot to introduce you. This is Ty, uhmmm, a friend of mine. Ty, this is Tess."

They shook hands.

"You look familiar. Are you from here?"

Ty nodded "Born and bred in East Riverside."

"Did you go to school there?" Tess asked.

"I certainly did."

Tess slowly chewed on a fried mac and cheese ball.

"That's where I must have seen you before. This is so good."

Bay laughed "Isn't it? It's my fav! How's your day going?"

Tess smirked "Not great. My aunt just bailed on me and now I have to find a babysitter for my son."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Bay said.

Tess picked-up another fried ball "Anyway, I have to make a couple of calls, thanks for the food."

She walked off. Bay sighed "Ty, I so much want to help her out. She's alone with her baby, who's terribly sick and she won't accept help from anyone. I bought her diapers the other day and she nearly chewed my head off."

Ty nodded "People from East Riverside don't respond well to charity."

Bay smacked her forehead "Of course, I should've known. After all I made the same mistake with you."

"She probably doesn't know you well enough. I certainly didn't. She just saw this rich girl from Mission Hills waving gifts around."

Bay frowned "So what do you suggest I do Ty? I really want to help."

"I don't know Bay. Do something that doesn't have monetary value. Something that she won't think you spent your money on."

It was as if a light had gone on in Bay's head.

"I know what to do!"

Ty looked at her alarmed "Oh dear…"

She slapped his arm "It's nothing crazy Ty."

"What is it then?"

"I can't tell you just yet. I need to speak to Wes first. But if it works out, then you can help me."

"Right everyone, lunch time is over. Back to work!" They heard the voice of the supervising officer.

Bay rolled her eyes "I hate that man."

Ty got up and picked up the bags "15 more days. Try and stay out of trouble."

Bay waved at him "I'll text you later."

Bay worked away for the rest of the afternoon. That had been so sweet of Ty to bring her lunch. She was surprised at how easy it was to hang out with him. He didn't seem to expect anything more than her company. Considering that she didn't really have any friends at the moment, she really welcomed having Ty to talk to.

When she got home she got out her sketch book right away. For hours she drew, completely immersed in her thoughts. Kathryn peeked in once and when she saw Bay drawing, she closed the door quietly and came back with a sandwich and a glass of juice. Bay didn't touch it until after midnight. Exhaustion took over and she smiled when she saw the three drawings she had created.

She carefully removed the pages and put them in a binder. On the cover she wrote "Everyday Heroes of KC". Tomorrow she had no community service and she would try and get a hold of Wes.

\- "-

When Bay woke up the next morning she felt a shooting pain through her arm. She wasn't surprised as she hadn't drawn for a long time and her muscles were feeling it. It was probably not good for her hand either to subject it to six uninterrupted hours of work.

She had a big day ahead and she wanted to look the part. She quickly jumped in the shower and washed and curled her hair. What should she wear? She decided on a black and white dress with black stockings and a black jacket. The dress was slightly too short for a business attire, but it would have to do. She applied her make-up and put on some heels. She looked in the mirror and liked what she saw.

Kathryn and John looked shocked when they saw her come down.

"Wow Bay, what's the occasion?" Her father asked.

"I'm heading to see Wes to pitch an art proposal."

Kathryn smiled "That's great to hear Bay, what is it?"

Bay smiled coyly "I'll tell you what it is once I hear what Wes has to say."

She quickly gulped down her coffee and made her way to Wes' posh office. Once she was standing in the plush reception area facing a skinny blonde receptionist, her resolve faltered a bit. She smiled at the woman.

"I'm Bay Kennish, I would like to see Wes."

The blonde looked at Bay aloofly "And what is it concerning? Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm here to talk to him about an art project. I'm the daughter of one of his former business partners, Regina Vasquez."

The woman handed Bay a card "Please call for an appointment; I'm afraid his schedule is full for today."

Bay looked at the card dejectedly. Just that moment the door opened and Wes walked out of his office. He looked surprised when he saw Bay.

"Bay? Can I help you? Are you here to see me?"

The blonde quickly got up "I'm sorry, she just walked in. I told her you're busy."

Wes waved his hand "No, it's fine. Come in Bay."

Bay smiled and quickly followed Wes into the office. She sat down and faced him.

"I'm so sorry to barge in like this, I should have called, it's just that I was so excited I just had to come."

Wes looked at his watch "Tell me quickly I have a very important call in 15 minutes."

Bay told him Tess's story and how she wouldn't let her help. She then showed Wes her three sketches.

"So this is Tess, she's the one I told you about. The next one is Ty, who nearly lost his life fighting in Afghanistan, and lastly it's Daphne, you know her. She's trying to get into med school even though she's deaf. They are the East Riverside heroes."

Wes was looking at the drawings intently. The leggy blonde opened the door.

"Shall I start calling and establishing the teleconference?"

Wes held up his hand "Try and delay them for 15 minutes."

The blonde nodded and closed the door. Wes looked up.

"Bay, these are amazing. How many more can you do?"

Bay's face lit-up like a Christmas tree "I can do as many as you want. The problem is I don't know anyone else."

"I'll take care of that. I just purchased a property that has a big park. I was planning on cleaning it up and making it a public space. It has about six benches. Would you consider putting your artwork up there?"

"I'd love to, when can I start?" Bay clapped her hands together in excitement.

"Whenever you want. I'll pay for the materials. And I'd like to pay you."

Bay's eyes shot open "You're actually commissioning my work? My drawings?"

"Bay, they are excellent. I love the idea"

"I won't accept any money for myself, but if I could put it in some kind of fund to help with the medical expenses Tess has, I will accept."

"I think that is an excellent idea." Wes took out a cheque book and wrote Bay a cheque for 500 dollars.

"This is for the materials. We'll negotiate a fair price for your work another time. I really have to go now."

Bay shook Wes's hand "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

Wes smiled "I look forward to our partnership Bay."

"I'll try and start tonight."

Bay was deliriously happy when she left the office. She'd had a feeling Wes would help her find a solution. After all he owned half of Riverside by now.

She texted Ty "**Are you home? Can I come by**?"

_**I am so sorry it took me this long to update. This little thing called work kept interrupting me. I hope you like the chapter and I will try and update as soon as possible, probably not before Monday though. You guys are the best reviewers, thank you so much and once again my apologies for making you wait so long.**_


	7. Friendship

Ty looked at his phone and chuckled. So Bay was ready to tell him what she had planned.

"**Yes, come on by**." He texted quickly.

"On way" Bay responded.

The doorbell rang that instant. "Boy, that woman could fly" Ty thought to himself. He opened the door and saw Mary-Beth standing outside. He looked surprised.

"MB, I wasn't expecting you."

Mary-Beth looked at him apologetically "I'm sorry, is this a bad time? I've been so busy at college and I feel so bad about the way we parted last week."

Ty stepped back "No, of course it isn't. Come on in. I feel the same."

Mary-Beth held-up a bag "I brought your favourite muffins."

They settled down after Ty made them coffee.

Mary-Beth spoke first "Look, I feel terrible about what happened. I've thought it through and I agree with you now. Maybe she was a victim."

Ty felt anger sweeping through him again.

"I want to punch that bastard so badly. It doesn't matter what happened, to see Bay in such a state makes me want to kick the living daylights out of him."

Mary-Beth looked surprised "You've seen her?"

"Yes, we hung-out a couple of times last week. In fact, she's on her way here as we speak."

Mary-Beth stood up and winked "I better go and give you some privacy."

Ty grabbed her arm and pulled her back down "It's not like that MB, we're just friends. In fact I'd like you to stay. It would mean the world to me if you two could get along."

Mary-Beth sat back down "Ok, if you say so."

They heard a knock on the door and Ty got-up to open it. When he saw Bay standing there in her short dress, it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Bay, wow, you…you…you look amazing."

By flashed a radiant smile. While she hadn't planned on dressing-up for Ty, she was extremely pleased at his reaction. It actually surprised her at how pleased she was.

She gave him a peck on the cheek and whispered "Thank you."

Ty just nodded and stepped back. He looked at Mary-Beth, who hadn't missed their interaction. Bay stepped in and stopped in her tracks when she saw her. Then she smiled hesitantly.

"Hi MB, I didn't know you were here."

Mary-Beth smiled as well "I just dropped in unannounced to check on how Ty was doing. I'll leave now."

"No, please stay. I haven't seen you in ages."

Ty turned towards the kitchen so that neither could see the look of relief on his face.

"How have you been?" Bay asked.

"I've been busy with college, so much to do. I feel like I don't get to do anything else."

Bay nodded "How's Travis?"

MB smiled "He's doing ok, I'm not sure if it was smart of him to decide to join the baseball team, but he's having a blast. I don't get to see him nearly as much as I'd like."

Bay accepted the coffee Ty offered and they sat in awkward silence. Ty excused himself to make a phone call.

"Look, Bay, I'm sorry. I feel like I overreacted when you and Tank started dating and things were never the same after that. I heard about what happened with the community service and that party. You must have been through so much."

Bay smiled "It's ok MB, I haven't been the best company either. I'm really glad I got to see you."

Mary-Beth looked relived "I would love to be friends with you again."

"So would I" Bay said.

Ty had overheard the last bit of their conversation and he smiled to himself before joining them again.

Bay picked-up her bag and looked at Ty "Are you ready to see what I planned for Tess?"

Mary-Beth got-up "I better go."

"No, please stay MB, I'd love to hear your opinion." Bay said quickly.

She gave them a run-down of her idea and her meeting with Wes and took the folder out of her bag.

"Here they are." She handed her sketches to Ty.

Ty opened his eyes wide when he saw the sketch of Tess "Bay, this is amazing. What an idea!"

Bay felt her palms sweating "Look at the next one."

Ty flipped the page and nearly choked when he saw his face on the paper. He blinked a couple of times and looked at Bay.

"I…I don't know what to say."

Bay rested her hand on his arm. "Just say that you'll let me do it."

Ty nodded and smiled "I love it."

He handed the sketches to Mary-Beth, who had tears in her eyes when she finished looking at them.

"Oh Bay, what an amazing project." She ran her fingers over the sketches.

Bay looked-up apologetically "I thought about doing Justin, MB, I really did. But for now it's an East Riverside project."

Mary-Beth nodded and smiled "I know. Maybe if it gets expanded to other parts of town…"

"Then, he'll be the first person I draw." Bay said with resolve.

"When do you start?" Ty interrupted the awkward moment.

"Wes said I can start any time. He gave me a cheque for materials. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me and get them?"

Ty nodded "Yes, I could do that. That'd be fun."

Mary-Beth bid her goodbyes and left. Bay looked at the door.

"I'm glad I saw her."

"So am I Bay, she means so much to me. I really want you two to get along. Are we going?"

Bay looked at her feet "I need to go home and change; I can't really see myself walking through the hardware store in this."

Ty looked disappointed "Do you have to?"

Bay laughed and slapped his arm "Yes, I do. I'll be back in an hour."

She stepped-out and walked to her car. Something had shifted, she could feel it. Was she ready for it? She wasn't sure. Maybe he was just being polite, but no, she'd seen the look on his face when he opened the door. The millisecond the look of raw desire crossed his face before he masked it.

There was still a lot of baggage she was carrying. They'd talked about the cheating and the story behind the community service, but there was still the issue with Tank hanging in the air. As much as she wanted to let it go, she found it hard to.

The one thing she was sure of was that she was ready to close the door on her relationship with Emmett. However things worked out, she was not going to pine after her ex-boyfriend anymore. In fact, she realized now that their lives had taken different paths and in a way she was glad it was over before she'd moved halfway across the country.

She arrived home and changed quickly before heading down to the garage to check on her existing stock of supplies. She'd never painted on a bench before and she hoped that Ty would know what to do in terms of preparation. She jotted down some things she needed on a piece of paper and went back to her car.

Once she sat in Ty's truck she explained her dilemma. Ty decided that he needed to look at the benches before heading out and they stopped at the park. To both their relief the benches were made out of concrete and did not need to be sanded. Ty looked at the sky.

"If I power wash them as soon as we get back, they might dry by lunch time tomorrow. It'll be tight, though."

Bay agreed "Why don't we go to the hardware store first and then you can come back and get started while I get the art supplies? That is, if you are willing to help me out."

Ty nodded "I'd love to help you out. I love the idea. How long do you think you'll need for the artwork?"

Bay thought about her answer as she counted in her head "Ideally, I'd need three days. However, I've got community service again on Wednesday, which only gives me two days. I'd love to show it to Tess after we finish. Maybe if I work longer, I'll be able to."

Ty scratched his head "Ok, we better get a move on and hope that the weather cooperates. I've got some errands to run, but I'll re-shuffle them for later in the week."

Bay looked at him gratefully "Thank you."

Once they got to the store they finished quickly with the stuff Ty needed and he headed back to the park, while Bay went to the art store. It took her longer than she thought to get everything she needed.

Once she had all the supplies stowed in her car she got a message from Ty. It was a photo of one of the benches.

"**I got one done. Have to run now as I'm having dinner with Aida. Speak to you tomorrow**."

Bay felt a pang. She shook her head and quickly typed. "**Thanks, see you tomorrow**."

_**I hope you liked this chapter. I wasn't going to write about MB, but I got a request from a reviewer and I think it fits-in great. I hope you think the same. Next chapter will be an emotional rollercoaster, so get ready. Would love your reviews as always. **_


	8. Art

Bay was sitting at the breakfast table telling John and Kathryn all about what had happened the day before. John looked astonished.

"Bay, I don't know what to say. I think it's amazing how you took up the initiative to do this. I'm so proud of you."

Bay winked at him "I must have gotten the business gene from you."

John and Kathryn laughed.

"So what's your plan for today?" Kathryn asked.

"I'm going to have another look at those sketches and put some finishing touches on them. I'll start with the one of Tess. Then I guess I'll wait for Ty to call to see if the bench is dry enough for me to start."

John nodded "At least the sun is shining. That should help."

Bay went back to her room and sat at her desk. She had imported the one photo she had of Tess with her son onto her laptop. It wasn't perfect, but it was the only thing she had to work with. She placed some more accents here and there to try and get the baby's features right.

She impatiently glanced at the time, longing to get started. She had to wait two more hours until Ty texted that they could get going.

Bay got into her car and quickly sped towards the park. It was still getting dark pretty early, which meant that she only had a couple of hours to play with.

Ty was already waiting for her at the park. He smiled when he saw her.

"Ready to do this?" He asked.

She nodded and looked at him properly. He looked exhausted and he hadn't shaved. She felt rage consuming her.

"Yes" She said tersely.

Ty raised an eyebrow and helped her unpack her supplies. Once she got started he stayed mostly in the background and watched her work. Artists truly mystified him, the way they were able to create such amazing pieces from nothing.

After two hours he rubbed his eyes. He'd hardly slept last night. While he was having dinner with Aida, Carter had called her asking them to join him for a drink and by the time he was home it had been well past 4 AM. They'd had a great time though. It was rare that his buddies were in the same town at the same time so they'd made the most of it. Now he was facing the consequences of too much alcohol and the lack of sleep.

"Pass me the round brush, please." Bay snapped him out of his thoughts.

He passed her the brush and yawned loudly.

When he looked at Bay she was seething "This is not the round brush, what is wrong with you?"

Ty looked taken aback "Sorry Bay, here you go. I feel a bit under the weather today."

"Yeah, I bet you do. Long night?" Bay spat back.

Ty furrowed his brow "Actually yes."

"Hope you had a good time" Bay managed to say it in a way that meant exactly the opposite.

He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around "I did actually. Is there a problem?"

Bay looked at him with eyes full of hurt. He could feel the tension in her neck.

"Are you with her?" He voice was quivering slightly.

Ty looked baffled "Am I with whom? Aida?"

"Just forget it" Bay turned back towards the bench.

Ty spun her back to face him "Hey, you don't get to treat me like crap and then turn your back on me."

Bay looked at him angrily. She opened and closed her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Ty looked at her. Was she jealous? She couldn't be, right? He was certainly not going to ask her and unleash another wrath of fury. He placed his hands on her shoulders again.

"I'm not with Aida or anyone else, ok? We had dinner and then went for a couple of drinks with some buddies of ours. It was almost dawn when I got back."

Bay nodded slowly. She placed her hands around his neck and hugged him.

"I'm sorry. You're here helping me and I'm being a bitch."

Ty held her close and nuzzled her hair. "It's ok. I like helping you out."

Bay tiptoed and placed her hands around his face before kissing him. He responded almost immediately and placed his hands around her waist.

Ty got lost in the moment; it felt so good having her in his arms again. They let their tongues explore slowly, savouring every moment. Ty pulled Bay towards him and Bay moaned quietly. He pulled back.

"Bay, are you sure you're ready for this?"

She looked at him and saw the look of concern in his eyes. She could also see how much he cared for her. She needed to be honest with him, she owed him that much.

"I don't know, Ty. I have no idea what's going on in my head. I know that I don't want you to be with anyone else, though. Does that make sense?"

Ty stroked her cheek "Let's take it one step at a time. You don't have to worry about anyone else, ok?"

Bay smiled and nodded "I'd like that. Shall we go back to my artwork? It's nearly getting dark."

They worked in silence for another hour. By the time it got dark Bay had done the background and the general outline of the faces.

"This is going to be really tight if I want it ready by Wednesday" Bay said.

"If we get here early tomorrow and Tuesday it should be fine, no? I can be here at 7 tomorrow if you want to."

Bay groaned "Let's say by 8, ok?"

Ty laughed as he helped her with packing-up her supplies.

"Shall I take this home with me? I can bring it tomorrow morning, so that you don't have to carry them."

Bay smiled "That would be really nice. That bag is so heavy."

Ty slung the bag over his shoulder and held out his hand.

"Come on, let's go. I really need some sleep."

They walked to her car hand-in-hand. Bay felt a fuzziness engulf her. Once they had reached her car, Ty kissed the corner of her mouth lightly and held the door open for her.

"See you tomorrow."

Bay smiled "See you tomorrow."

He watched as she turned the corner and slowly walked home. He couldn't believe that she'd kissed him. All this time since he'd been back he'd thought that being in a relationship was the last thing on her mind.

No, who was he fooling, there was an undeniable chemistry between them, and it had only been a matter of time until feelings came back to the surface. He'd never stopped loving her in the first place.

Now they'd have to figure out how to proceed from there. He also needed to take some important decisions regarding his life. His initial five year commitment would be over in one year. Was he ready to leave the life he'd known and start over with something else?

He'd think about it tomorrow, right now he was too tired to do so. He fell into bed exhausted.

Bay shook her head in wonder as she lay in her bed. She shook her hand trying to loosen the muscles, knowing that it would be some time until she was able to rest it again.

She'd never forget the look in his face that ultimately led to her kissing him. He loved her unconditionally, she knew that now. She also knew that her head was not ready to be in a real relationship yet, but if he was willing to give her the time, she knew that it would be worth it. She slept soundly for the first time in weeks.

When Bay woke-up the next morning she felt rested and the heaviness had lifted from her chest. She smiled at the day ahead. She quickly took a shower and dressed and left the house before her parents came downstairs.

When she arrived at the park, Ty was already there and lifting the protective tarp from the bench. He saw Bay and a look of insecurity crossed his face. Bay saw it as well. Before he could say anything, she walked up to him and kissed him on the mouth.

"Good morning soldier!" Bay smiled at him.

The look of relief crossing his face was priceless. He hugged her to him "Good morning to you too!"

Bay dug her head into his shoulder "We'll figure it out, won't we?" She murmured.

Ty stroked her back "I'd like nothing more."

For the next hours they worked together to get the bench finished. Bay did not want to leave the park at lunch time in fear that the tarp would ruin the artwork while it hadn't dried. Ty ran to get them some food and they sat down on a nearby bench.

"It looks amazing, Bay." Ty said admiring the features of Tess.

Bay nodded "We actually got more accomplished than I thought. Tess is almost done, the baby I'll leave until tomorrow. That will be the hardest part. I might not have time to spray the sealant on after that. Would you be able to do that?"

"I'll do it Wednesday morning, and then it will be done in time for you to bring Tess over."

Bay shook her hand and winced. Ty took it in his and gently massaged it. He looked up bewildered when he felt the scar.

"What happened?"

"Oh Ty, of course, you don't know." Bay exclaimed.

She quickly told him what had happened and saw his eyes cloud over.

"Christ Bay, is there anything that guy hasn't done to you?" He burst out angrily.

Bay blushed and hid her hand "Ty, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it."

Ty wanted to face palm himself in shame. He put his arm around her shoulders.

"I know you're not. That was uncalled for. I'm sorry. There are so many things I'm unable to talk about and I'm not sure I ever will be."

Bay smiled "It's ok. I really want to forget and move on."

Ty nodded, not wanting to tell her that that wasn't the solution. She'd probably heard it before. He took her hand back and kissed the scar lightly.

"Should you be putting this much strain onto it?" He asked

Bay shook her head "I don't think so. The doctors have cleared me to draw, but I don't think they had a three day marathon in mind when they did."

"Maybe you should stop and take a bit more time." Ty suggested.

"No, it's ok. The bulk of the work is done for today. Now it's more the finishing touches on Tess's face. I'll make sure to ice it tonight, so it's ready for tomorrow."

Bay got back to work and within two hours she was happy with the end result of Tess. She had to finish it up so it could dry a bit before covering it up for the night. After applying two or three light strokes here and there she stood back.

"Ty, this is all I can do for today. Now we have to wait a bit until we can cover it." She sounded proud.

Ty squinted his eyes "You got her face exactly right, unbelievable."

Bay walked over to him and placed her hand on his face "Now just imagine what I will do with yours, since I know it much better."

Ty smiled and grabbed her hand "Let's sit down for a bit. Or do you want to head home and I stay until it's good to cover?"

"No, I want to wait." Bay said as she sat down on the bench across from her artwork.

Ty sat down next to her and Bay snuggled up to him. She looked at his face and closed her eyes.

"Kiss me" She whispered.

Ty leaned down and gave her a small peck on the lips.

Bay waited and opened one eye after a while. She lifted her eyebrow.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Ty laughed and bent down one more. This time they kissed for a long time. When they came up for air, Bay was smiling.

"I'm so happy that you're back in my life, Ty. You make me feel safe."

Ty smiled "So am I" He played with her hair "Bay, there's something I need to ask and you have to answer."

Bay tensed slightly "Go ahead"

Ty took a deep breath "It's Emmett. I need to know that you've got no feelings for him. I'm willing to do everything to make this work, but I will not be the consolation prize."

Bay took his hand; she didn't have to think about her answer.

"Emmett and I are over, Ty. I've closed the door. I have no feelings for him. I can tell you why if you want to."

Ty looked at her face. It was completely devoid of any emotion. He squeezed her hand.

"I don't need details. Your word is good enough."

Bay smiled and settled back into his arms.

_**My, my this was hard to write. I hope that you will like it. It's a longer chapter than I had anticipated and I didn't get that artwork finished as I had planned to. It will have to wait for the next chapter. Looking forward to your reviews, comments and suggestions.**_

_**P.S.: Travis plays baseball and not football. My mistake, I fixed it in the previous chapter. Thanks for pointing it out.**_


	9. Fight

Bay had a bounce in her step as she picked-up the litter. They'd done it, the bench was finished and Ty was applying the sealant as she worked.

If all went according to plan she'd be able to show Tess the artwork this afternoon. The problem she was facing now was on how to get Tess to the park. She positioned herself so that she was next to her.

"How's your son?" Bay asked.

Tess actually smiled for once "He's doing well. The new treatment he's on seems to be doing wonders."

"I'd love to meet him one day."

Tess looked surprised "You would? I guess that can be arranged."

Bay saw an opportunity "How about after work today? I'm going for diner with Ty in East Riverside. Do you know that park next to the new condos?"

Tess nodded "Yes, it's close to my aunt's place."

Bay smiled "Meet you there at 5:30?"

"Ok" Tess agreed and continued working.

At lunch time Ty sent a text saying that it was done. Bay told him about her conversation with Tess and they agreed to meet straight after the community service. Bay was elated! Not even the officer barking orders at her could dampen her spirits.

Once the work was done Bay didn't even bother to go home and change and drove straight to Ty's. Together they went to the park and decided that the bench was dry enough for them to cover it with the tarp. They sat down on the bench opposite and waited. Ty took her hand.

"Bay, I can't stop telling you what an amazing job you did."

Bay stroked his hand "I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"Maybe not, but the idea and the artwork is all yours. When will you show Wes?"

"I called him earlier. He's travelling this week. He'll be back on Monday and is trying to fit me into his schedule. He said he would pay me and I want to set-up that fund."

Ty nodded "If you do I want the money for my bench to go into it as well."

Bay beamed at him "Are you sure? That would be great. I was going to ask you weather there was some other cause you wanted me to support. This project is all for charity."

"I can think of nothing better than to help that baby. But Bay, if you want to make your living in the art work you won't be able to do it for charity all the time."

"I know. I'm just so happy I got the space to do it legally, money was never on my mind. You're right; in future I'll need a bit more business sense."

Ty leaned down for a kiss and Bay wasn't able to think about anything else at that moment.

She came up for air a little while later "This has turned into our make-out bench."

Ty laughed "Make-out bench? You're kidding me. What are we? 13?"

Bay blushed "Well something like that. It reminds me of our first kiss."

Ty played with her hair "That seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then."

His eyes clouded over. Bay patted his hand

"Let's not think about that right now. Kiss me again."

Ty didn't have to be asked twice.

"Friends? Yeah right!" They were interrupted by the sarcastic voice of Tess.

Bay looked up slightly flustered and relaxed when she saw Tess was smiling.

"Geez Tess, I'm sorry. That's not how I wanted your son to see me for the first time."

Tess shrugged "He'll survive" She turned to the baby "Say hello to Bay and Ty."

They made space for Tess on the bench and once she was settled Bay motioned for Ty to get-up.

"Tess, I actually asked you here because I've got something to show you. I've been working on this for the past couple of days…"

Without further ado they lifted the tarp. Tess looked at the bench and once she realized what was on it, her eyes opened incredulously "What the…! It's me and Jake. Oh my God!"

Bay hadn't realized until that moment that she was actually shaking. She felt a wave of relief when she saw the smile spreading across Tess's face.

"It's a series Tess, I got commissioned to do six of them and yours was the first one that came to mind."

Tess was wiping her eyes "It's amazing, you got his features just right! She walked towards the bench with Jake in her arms "Look honey, your mom's a hero and so are you."

Jake gurgled seemingly unimpressed. Tess hugged Bay. "I'll come here and sit with Jake every day."

"Unfortunately not today" Ty interrupted "It's not 100% dry yet. We tried to get it ready as fast as we could, so that Bay could show it to you. Tomorrow it will be all ready for the two of you."

Tess beamed "I need to get going as I've got to be at work in one hour. Thank you so much!"

They bid their goodbyes and watched Tess leave.

Bay walked into Ty's apartment feeling elated. He'd been right. It was the first time she'd seen Tess let her guard down and seeing her smile like that was worth more to Bay than anything. She hugged Ty and kissed him.

"We did it, we did it. Did you see how happy she was?"

Ty laughed "I did. What do they say again? A picture is worth a thousand words?"

What really made him happy was to see Bay acting so carefree. She'd come a long way from the desperate, tear streaked girl he'd come across in East Riverside on a rainy night.

He opened the fridge and got out a beer. Bay took it out of his hand.

"I'll have one too, thank you!"

Ty looked dubious "Are you sure about that? I have some Coke in there. Why don't you have that instead?"

Bay just laughed and popped the can open "Oh Ty, don't be silly. It's not like you'll rape me."

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Bay instantly regretted her words.

"Oh God, Ty I'm sorry!"

Ty was shaking in anger. He took hold of Bay's arms and pinned her against the table.

"How could you say such a thing, Bay?" He spat out the words in fury.

Bay felt a heaviness on her chest "I don't know. It was a bad joke. I'm so sorry. You don't know what I've been through these past couple of months; I haven't been able to sleep…"

"And you think I have?" Ty interrupted her and started pacing the room "Do you know how guilty I feel?"

Bay opened her eyes wide.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have ended up with that asshole in the first place. I was the cataclysm to all of this."

"Ty, don't…" Bay said feebly.

"Shut-up Bay!" He interrupted her "Have you looked at yourself? Your hand, taking the fall for Daphne, the party? Would it have happened if we had stayed together? If I hadn't lied?"

Ty took a deep breath.

"I was your first Bay, you can't imagine how I felt when I heard about Tank, when I saw you having that nightmare."

Ty kept pacing up and down the small room. Bay felt anger engulf her. She walked towards Ty and put her hands on his chest. She pushed him back.

"Are you crazy? What do you think I am? Some glass doll that can't take care of herself? I'm an adult Ty! I'm responsible for my own actions, I don't need a babysitter."

Ty was taken aback at her outburst. Bay's eyes were blazing.

"You lied. Yes, it was a horrible thing to do. Yes, I hit rock bottom. It's still no excuse for what happened! You weren't here; I would probably still have hurt my hand at some party. Being with you wouldn't have changed that. And how can you feel responsible for me taking the fall for Daphne? I would have done it anyway."

Ty sat down and put his head in his hands.

"But you wouldn't have been raped!"

Bay took a deep breath and tried to get her emotions under control.

"I don't know if I was raped! I might have consented. I can't remember. That's what drives me over the edge. That I can't remember. Maybe it was my fault."

Bay felt tears stinging in her eyes. Ty got-up again and put his hands on his hips. His nostrils flared.

"Don't ever say that it was your fault. You hear me? You made one mistake. You got drunk! So do 99% of people at one time or another. It's happened to me often enough."

Bay wiped her eyes "Innocent until proven guilty, that's what I need to go by until I can remember. If I ever do."

Ty sat back down "You will and it will hit you when you least expect it."

Bay sighed "I don't know if to look forward to it or to dread it."

"You'll learn to deal with it when it happens. At least you'll have closure, one way or the other."

Bay sat down next to him.

"I'm such a basket case. I don't know how you can stand being around me. I'm like used goods or something."

Ty took her hand "You're not used goods, Bay. I can think of nothing better than being around you. I love you."

Bay looked at Ty in surprise and bit her lip. She smiled through moist eyes.

"I love you too. So much! Although I guess I suck at showing it. Will you forgive me? I can't think of what went through my mind when I said what I said. You must have seen so many horrible things over there and I know how you feel about women being treated that way. I'm so stupid and I…."

She felt Ty's lips on hers as he kissed her. He looked at her and smiled.

"Bay…stop talking" He stroked her cheek "You had me at I love you too."

Bay smiled and kissed him.

_**Thank you for your continuous support. **_

_**This was a hard chapter to write about a complicated subject. I was postponing it being mentioned as there is no right way to do it. It's one of the pieces of the story though and it will continue throughout the next chapter. If it bothers you, please don't read. **_

_**The good news is that I have the next chapter almost ready and I promise you one thing. It's ALL Bay and Ty. **_

_**Please review, I love to read your opinions.**_


	10. Recollection

The past three weeks had been a whirlwind for Bay. Between finishing up her community service and doing the benches in her spare time, she'd hardly had time to think about anything else. Most nights she fell into bed exhausted.

Today she wanted to celebrate. It was her last day of community service and the previous day they had finished Ty's bench.

She would always remember the look on his face, when they had sat across from it. Bay was sure that Ty's eyes had misted over. He had kissed her longingly. She would never forget his words.

"Bay, looking at this it finally feels like I actually accomplished something in the past 3 years and a half."

To celebrate they decided to try a new Italian restaurant that had opened in East Riverside.

Ty raised his glass "To freedom, jailbird!"

Bay laughed and kicked him under the table "To freedom."

Ty had the pasta and Bay ordered a large pizza. It was delicious and Bay wolfed it down. She looked at Ty and frowned.

"I'm scared to ask this, but I have to." She took a deep breath "You've been home for a month, what's going to happen next?"

Ty felt a tug in his heart as he looked into her worried eyes.

"I don't know Bay. I try not to think about it either, but you're right, we must. There are some options."

Bay nodded "What are they?"

Ty scratched his head "I don't think I'll be sent overseas again so soon. I'll probably be stationed somewhere in the country. I could put in a request for KC, but it means that I'll have exhausted my requests after that if they grant it."

Bay thought about his words "If it's in the US, could I come with you? I still want to go to college; it doesn't mean I have to stay here in KC."

Ty looked relieved "Would you consider that?"

Bay smiled "Of course I would. I want to!"

"That would make me so happy, Bay." Ty stroked her hand.

"So that's settled, what are the other options?"

Ty thought about it for a moment "The other option is more long-term. I have an additional 18-months to go until I make a decision whether to stay or to leave."

Bay wanted nothing more than for Ty to quit, but she could see that he hadn't quite made-up his mind yet. She decided to get more information before she pressured him.

"Can we decide in a year or so?" She asked cautiously.

Ty felt fuzzy at the choice of the word "we". She was actually invested in making this relationship work.

He kissed the palm of her hand "We sure can."

The waiter came to clear the plates and handed them the dessert menu. Bay looked at it longingly and shook her head.

"What do you want, Bay?"

"That molten chocolate cake looks so good, but I shouldn't."

"Great, I'll order it for myself then." There was no way Ty was going to keep her from eating that cake.

The waiter came back a short while later and put the delicious looking dessert in front on Ty. He slid it over to Bay.

She laughed "Ty, I can't! That thing has like 2000 calories."

Ty was having none of it "Eat it! This is our time to celebrate. I'll have two or three bites if it makes you feel better."

Bay took a spoonful and the look of delight on her face was priceless.

"I knew you'd enjoy it." Ty smiled.

"It's delicious! I'm going to get so fat!"

Ty laughed "Well, lucky me then. I like to have something to grab onto." He winked at her.

Bay shrugged her shoulders and blushed.

"I haven't really given you the chance to grab onto anything lately. Does it bother you?"

Ty could have slapped himself.

"Don't ever think that, please! All I want is to be with you, it doesn't matter how. You've been through a lot and had little time to process. When you're ready, you're ready and that's it."

Bay leaned across the table and took his hand.

"Ty, these past weeks have been amazing. I love you so much. I'm ready."

Ty stroked her knuckles "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured, I feel so bad for making that comment."

"Yes" Bay blushed again "I...I had decided before we went for dinner. My parents are away, I want to spend the night with you."

Ty smiled "I'd like nothing more."

They paid the bill and walked to the truck. Ty kissed Bay longingly before opening the door for her. They drove the short distance to his place.

Ty opened the door and stepped inside. He took off his jacket and threw it on a chair. Bay walked over to him and placed her hands around his waist. She looked at him expectantly. Ty framed her face with his hands and kissed her.

Bay got lost in the moment and let her tongue explore. She gently bit Ty's bottom lip and he groaned. He ran his mouth over her neck, sucking lightly at her earlobe, before nibbling his way down to her shoulder.

Bay tugged at his t-shirt and Ty helped her pull it off. Bay smiled as she ran her hands over his stomach before placing them around his neck and pushing herself flush against him.

"Ty, you feel amazing." She whispered in his ear.

Ty groaned and placed his hands on her bottom. He felt like he couldn't get close enough to her.

"You're so beautiful, Bay."

She smiled at him "Bed?"

He looked at her with pure longing "Yes!"

They made their way to the bedroom and Ty kicked off his shoes. Bay lay on the bed pulled him down on top of her. She moaned when she felt him pressing against her.

"Oh...that feels so good."

Ty attacked her mouth again and ran his hands over her body. He felt like he was going to explode at any second. For the past seven months he'd longed to have her in this position. He felt an urgent need to be skin-on-skin with her. He started unbuttoning her blouse and before she was able to pull-it off he unhooked the strap of her bra.

Bay raised herself to help him and suddenly she tensed and pushed him off.

"No!"

Ty was startled and moved off her immediately. She turned to him with glassy eyes.

"I said no!"

Ty lifted his hands "I know, I heard you!"

Bay shook her head "I said no. Oh no!" She covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom.

She barely made it and she dropped to her knees on the floor retching into the toilet bowl. She'd never felt so sick in her entire life.

Ty realized what had happened almost immediately and he quickly went into the kitchen to get her a glass of water. He pulled his t-shirt back on.

Not wanting to embarrass her, he waited until the retching noise had stopped before opening the door. His heart broke when he found her sitting on the floor shaking. She looked up at him as he handed her the glass of water.

"You remembered." He said simply.

Bay was crying now "I said no! He didn't stop! I remember everything. He, he…I was…" Bay couldn't get herself to say it.

"Raped" Ty finished the sentence for her as he felt engulfed by rage "I swear I'll kill him."

Bay took his hand and pulled him down next to her. She looked into his eyes and was scared at what she saw in them.

"No! You have to promise me not to do anything stupid. Promise!"

Ty felt as if every nerve in his body was on fire. He took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control.

"I'll try" He said between gritted teeth.

Bay squeezed his hand "I feel so sick."

Ty hugged her to him "I know baby, I'm so sorry." He kissed her temple "Do you want to lie back down?"

Bay nodded and he helped her up. Bay buttoned up her shirt. She lay down on the bed and Ty sat down next to her.

"I wish you would press charges".

"How Ty? Do you think I want to relive everything in court? They'll see me as a convicted teenager who got drunk and is accusing her ex of….whatever."

"I know. It would be difficult, but it just makes me so angry that he gets away with it unscathed."

Bay covered her eyes with her hands "How could he do this to me?"

Ty stroked her hair "You can't begin to imagine how angry I am. What was he thinking? That he had a green light just because you dated him?" Ty's chest constricted at uttering those words.

Bay heard it and sat-up on the bed. She took his hand.

"Ty, I never….I never had sex with him while we were dating. He wanted to, but it just didn't feel right at the time."

Ty squeezed her hand so tight that she gasped. He relaxed his grip on her.

"That makes it all so much worse." He muttered a string of expletives to himself.

Bay got-up and stood in front of him. She lifted his head and placed her hands around his face.

" Ty, I can't lose you again. You have to promise not to do anything. Do it for us!"

He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. She was right; nothing good would come of chasing the guy down.

"I promise Bay. Even if it's the hardest promise I ever make."

Bay nodded and sat on his lap. Ty put her arm around her and she leaned her forehead against his.

"I ruined our evening." She said in a small voice.

"Don't say that, Bay! Don't ever say that! I told you it would come to you when you least expected it. I've been there."

Bay looked at him with eyes full of hurt "But it could've come while I was driving, or shopping, or painting. Yet it came at a time when I was so happy."

Ty pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly.

"I'm glad I made you remember. When you're ready for us to do this again I swear I'll do everything I can to make you forget."

Bay was overcome by emotion "Oh Ty, I love you so much."

Ty stroked her back "Same here."

Bay felt exhausted all of a sudden "I'm so tired. Can I stay here?"

"Of course you'll stay. Over my dead body would I let you go home and spend the night in an empty house."

Bay looked at him gratefully. He pulled back the bed cover.

"Do you have anything to change into?"

Bay blushed again "No. I didn't think I'd need to."

Ty held out his hand and helped her get-up "Let's find you something to wear."

He rummaged in his chest of drawers and handed her the largest t-shirt he could find. He nearly choked as Bay stripped down to her underwear there and then and slipped it on. He quickly found some jogging bottoms for himself and they settled in the bed.

Bay turned to the side and snuggled into his arms. Ty stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

"Go to sleep now. You're safe here."

Ty waited until she was asleep before slowly disentangling himself and putting some distance between them. He so much wanted to hold her, but he was only human after all. Her naked legs and the swell of her bottom against his legs was more than he could handle right now.

He tossed and turned for an hour and decided to get up and have a drink. Every time he'd tried to close his eyes he saw the image of Tank hovering over Bay and he felt anger overcome him. He finished up his bourbon and walked back into the bedroom, just in time to hear her scream.

He quickly walked over to her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey, wake-up! It's just a nightmare."

Bay opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. She started crying.

"It's longer now. It doesn't stop where it used to. I'm going to be sick."

She made another dash to the bathroom. Ty ran his hand across his face and followed her. He ran a washcloth under the cold water and placed it on the back of her neck. Bay looked at him gratefully.

"Will I ever get past this?"

He came apart at the look of despair on her face.

"Yes, you will! But you might need some help. It might be good to talk to someone about this."

Bay frowned "You're right. I've been fighting it for too long. I want to move on. I want to be in a proper relationship with you. I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Ty felt relieved "Let's go back to bed."

Bay lay back down and Ty held her again until she fell asleep. He turned on his back and rested his head on the pillow. He closed his eyes and hoped that he would be able to deal with his anger as well. They both had their demons to fight now.

_**This is the chapter that is all Bay/Ty. So many emotions in it. It was the one that took me longest to write. It will go uphill from here. And before you ask...she is NOT pregnant. I hope you liked it. Please review.**_


	11. Acceptance

Bay woke up with a headache the next morning. She felt emotionally drained. She turned around in the bed to look for Ty, but he wasn't there. She found him sitting at his kitchen table sipping coffee and looking through the newspaper. Bay placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned and smiled at her. When he saw her face he turned serious.

"Good morning baby, are you ok?"

Bay managed a weak smile "My head hurts, I feel exhausted."

Ty got-up to pour her a glass of water.

"You must be completely dehydrated. Drink this."

Bay gratefully accepted and sat on his lap.

"Thank you for being there for me last night."

Ty held her close "Always Bay. You should know that." He kissed her head.

"I want to go down to that women's centre today. The one in East Riverside. I'm ready to talk to someone."

Ty nodded "Ok. I'll drive you and pick you up again if you want to."

Bay smiled gratefully "Can I have some coffee? And aspirin?"

Ty got her both and after a little while she felt ready for a shower and to tackle what lay ahead. She turned towards Ty as they walked out the door.

"My parents are back at lunch time. I want you to come for dinner today."

Ty winced slightly "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes we have to. I have to tell them about my plans and I need you there."

"Ok." Ty knew that this was one battle he wouldn't win.

He dropped Bay off and promised to come back for her as soon as she texted him.

Bay walked into the building with some apprehension and once she explained her situation to the receptionist she was ordered to fill-out some forms and to wait. It took another two hours until they called her and Bay was feeling her resolve faltering.

The psychologist introduced herself and although Bay could detect the fatigue on her face, she immediately felt at ease. This was why she had chosen this place instead of going to an expensive doctor. She had known that here they would understand her.

While she had felt out of place in the beginning, Bay soon was able to relax and she told her story for the first time from beginning to end without having to be prodded. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

The psychologist looked at her kindly.

"Ms. Kennish, I wish this was the first time I heard a story like yours. Unfortunately it happens too often and I'm happy that you are able to share it with me. More often than not these events go unreported."

Bay nodded "How do I forget?"

"You will never forget. I won't be able to erase your memories. What I can do is to help you move on from here and to help you process."

Bay managed a small smile "When do we start?"

"You already did by coming here. I'd like to see you again tomorrow and we'll go from there."

Bay nodded "I'll come."

She walked towards the reception area to make an appointment. She found the receptionist holding a crying woman in her arms. Her face was battered. Bay sighed and walked out. She would call later.

Instead of texting Ty she decided to walk back to his place. She needed the fresh air. For the first time in months she felt like she was actually going to be able to deal with what had happened. Ty wasn't home, so she looked in the hiding spot for his spare key and let herself in. Ty found her sleeping on the couch an hour later.

\- " -

"I'll kill him!" John banged his fist on the table sending some of the glasses flying.

Ty nodded his head in agreement. The shadow had crept back across his face.

Bay put a hand on John's arm and shot a warning glance at Ty.

"Dad, no! I made Ty promise as well. Nothing good will come from it. You're going to get yourself into trouble."

Kathryn had tears in her eyes and John's face turned puce with rage.

"I'll call my lawyer in the morning. He should go to jail."

Bay shook her head "Please don't dad; please don't make me go through it again."

John put his head in his hands "There must be something we can do."

Ty spoke for the first time "Beat the living daylights out of him would be a good start."

Bay got-up "No!"

Ty raised his hands "Ok, ok. I know, I promised."

Kathryn wiped her eyes "It would be good if you spoke to someone, Bay. I know I've said it before, but now that you remember…"

"I already did, mum" Bay interrupted "I went to see a psychologist this morning. She'll help me to get through this."

Kathryn looked surprised and smiled "You did? That makes me so happy."

John looked at Ty "Did you have something to do with this?"

Bay took Ty's hand "We both decided that's what needed to be done for us to move on."

No one was hungry anymore and they moved into the lounge. Kathryn looked at the mess on her dinner table and Bay helped her clear some of the broken glasses.

They went to look for the men and found them having an argument. John looked at Kathryn.

"Did you know our daughter has decided to follow Ty to wherever he gets posted?"

Kathryn looked surprised "Is that what you want Bay?"

Bay looked at Ty who couldn't have looked more uncomfortable standing in a corner of the room with his hands in his pockets.

She walked over to him and took his hand. He squeezed it gratefully.

"Yes, mum, it's what I want. I need to get on with my life and I want to do it with Ty by my side."

John paced up and down the room "Kathryn, Bay, give us a minute."

Bay opened her mouth to protest but Ty shook his head "Go, I'll be fine."

Once the women had left, John poured himself a scotch. He offered one to Ty, but he declined. They sat down.

"Ty, what guarantee do you have that you won't be sent overseas?"

Ty shook his head "Absolutely none. I do think that it won't happen for a while. It usually doesn't after two tours."

John nodded "Do you want me to put a word in so that you get stationed here?"

Ty thought for a moment "You would probably manage, but I don't think Bay wants to go to college here. Her memories seem to be triggered when she's in a similar setting. Being at college here would do that constantly."

John nodded "You might be right. I hadn't thought about that. I guess she'd be leaving one way or the other."

Ty ran his hand across his face "I know you don't approve John, I can only promise that I'll look after her and I won't let any harm come to her."

John shook his head "I can't stop this, can I? How long is your enlistment?"

"Another 18 months. Then I don't know. We were going to discuss options further down the line."

John nodded "Son, you've accomplished more with Bay in a few weeks than a whole barrage of people in months. If that's what she wants, I won't stand in your way."

Ty nodded. He felt incredibly relieved. They called the women back in and John left to confer with Kathryn.

Bay looked at Ty anxiously. Ty smiled at her.

"It's ok Bay. Your father isn't exactly over the moon, but he's given us his blessing."

Bay hugged Ty tightly "What a day."

Once John and Kathryn came back, they all took a drive to the park together. It was already dark, but with the help of a few flashlights and the few lamps in the park they were able to show John and Kathryn the benches.

John and Kathryn looked at them in astonishment and Kathryn hugged Bay tightly.

"Oh Bay, they are the most beautiful thing I have seen. What an amazing idea you had. Everything is going to be ok sweetheart. I just know."

_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the added interactions with the family. Please review.**_


	12. Trip

Ty was waiting in his truck for Bay to finish her session with the psychologist. He was glad that Bay was taking these appointments seriously and that they seemed to be helping her. He smiled when he saw her climbing into the truck and leaned towards her for a kiss.

"Ready to for lunch?" He asked.

Bay nodded "I'm starving. That was a long session."

Once they were seated in the restaurant and had ordered Ty took Bay's hand.

"My leave is coming to an end in 10 days. I haven't heard anything yet, but my instructions could come any day now."

Bay sighed but then smiled "We'll deal with it when it comes. I'm sure we'll find a solution that works for everyone."

Ty smiled in relief and winked at her "You know we could just get married and get a place at the fort?"

Bay laughed "Is that a proposal, soldier? Because it's the worse one ever."

Ty thought about his answer "I don't know. Would you consider it?"

Bay shook her head "Definitely not. Not because I wouldn't want to be your wife, but I want to get married when we're both ready. Not so that we can take advantage of your employer."

Ty nodded "Fair enough. Though…I would do it, you know!"

Bay crocked her head sideways "Where were you this morning?"

"I had an appointment with my psychologist." Ty shrugged his shoulders.

Bay smiled "Well, so did I. Look at us, do you really think we should be talking marriage right now?"

Ty laughed "No, I guess not."

Bay took his hand "I want to go away with you this weekend. Somewhere where it's just us."

Ty winked at her "Like camping?"

Bay kicked him under the table "Not like camping. Somewhere where I don't have to sleep on the floor and pee in the woods."

"So you want to go to a hotel?"

"No, I don't want a hotel either. Is there something in between camping and a hotel? Something romantic?"

Ty thought for a few seconds "I might know just the place. It's about 2 hours from here on Milford Lake. There are some cabins there that can rented for a weekend. I did my initial training close to there."

Bay flashed a radiant smile "That sounds just like the place. Will you take care of the booking?"

"I'll look into it. Shall we leave on Thursday morning?"

"Sounds great. Let me go home so that I can break the news to my parents."

Ty rolled his eyes "I'll let you do that one by yourself. Text me as soon as you have the green light."

They paid the bill and Ty drove Bay home. She was in a hurry as she wanted to catch her mother alone before her father got home. Kathryn was cooking and smiled at Bay when she heard her come in.

Bay poured herself some coffee and sat at the island.

"Mum, I need to ask you something."

Kathryn took off her glasses "Of course Bay, anything."

"I want to go away with Ty for the weekend. We are looking into renting a cabin on Milford Lake."

Kathryn sighed and took Bay's hand "Honey, you're 19, I don't think there's a way for me to keep you here. Are…are you sure that's what you want?"

"Ty will be leaving soon and I want to go with him. It might take me a couple of months to sort things out with school and stuff, but I want to make this work."

Kathryn nodded "Your father behaves like that is the end of the world, but secretly he's delighted that you're not staying in any college dorms after what happened. It took a toll on him. More than you could ever imagine. In some strange way he trusts that Ty will keep you safe."

"I'm so sorry for all of this, mum. Will you let me go?" Bay blushed "It's important for me, for us, to get away for a weekend. My psychologist told me today to go to a place where I have no memories to try to…"

Kathryn sensed Bay's discomfort "It's ok Bay, you have my blessing, I'll work on dad."

Bay hugged Kathryn "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

John came home a little while later and was less than convinced at letting Bay go. He grumbled and mumbled for one hour before gruffly giving his consent. Bay was over the moon. She quickly texted Ty.

"All set, took a while but we can go."

Ty replied that he would look into the booking.

Four days later they were on their way and arrived at their destination at lunch time. Bay was enamored with their cabin by the lake and thoroughly inspected it while Ty got everything out of the truck. She excitedly went to join him.

"Look Ty, it has 2 bedrooms and a lounge and a full bathroom and a kitchen. It's so quiet here."

Ty laughed "Yes, it's still very early in the season, the place is half empty. Is it private enough for you? I still think a tent would have done it."

Bay slapped his chest "No tents, no camping. This is just right. Thank you."

He pulled her in for a kiss "You want to go out for a boat ride while it's still light?"

"Yes!" Bay jumped up and down with joy.

Ty was over the moon at seeing her so happy. It had been a great idea to get her out of KC. He picked-up his jacket and followed her outside.

Bay looked a little dubious when she saw how small the boat was, but Ty reassured her that it was safe. Bay settled in and Ty took hold of the oars and quickly they were at the middle of the lake. Ty stopped the boat and Bay leaned back and enjoyed the rays of sunshine on her face.

"It's so beautiful here." Bay sighed in content.

"It is. I spent 6 weeks here when I initially joined-up."

Bay sat-up "Do you have any idea at all as to where you'll be sent to?"

Ty shook his head "No, I haven't. I suspect somewhere with easy access to water as most of the Humvees need to be shipped overseas. I hope it has an art school, wherever it is."

"I'm not sure I want to go to art school." Bay said pensively.

Ty nearly dropped an oar "What?"

"I don't know. I've been spending a lot of time at that women's center where I go to the psychologist and I like what they do. I've been thinking about doing something in that field. I'll always paint, I know that much."

Ty raised an eyebrow "So now you want to be a psychologist?"

Bay shrugged "Not necessarily. Psychologist would be nice, but even a social worker. Anything to help the victims."

Ty nodded slowly "I think you'd be really good at that. You should talk to Aida when we get back; she used to do something like that before she enlisted."

Bay's eyes lit-up "Really? I was trying to find someone I could talk to. I was even thinking to go with you earlier and try and volunteer somewhere to get experience."

"Let's decide once we know where they send me. Then we can look into finding a place and all that since you won't marry me." Ty winked.

Bay just laughed "One day, Ty, one day. Not now. Will it cost us a fortune?"

"They'll give me an allowance to live off the fort. We should be fine."

Bay shivered and Ty looked at the sky. It was getting dark. They decided on heading back.

Once they were in their cabin, Ty cooked them dinner and they sat at the table.

"I'm so happy you brought food. It didn't cross my mind that we had to cook. Not that I would've known what to do." Bay said.

"I love to cook; you don't need to worry about that. You can't have remote and private and expect a restaurant outside." Ty winked at her.

Bay smiled "I love being here with you. It's almost like living together."

Ty got up "How about I go find us some firewood to light that fireplace in the bedroom?"

Bay nodded gratefully. Once he was gone she made her way into the master. She felt a bit apprehensive after what had happened the last time they'd tried to make love, but she was committed to make it work. Every time she looked at Ty, she felt desire consume her and she wanted to get that part of their relationship right before he had to go. She thought about the words of her psychologist.

"Try and take charge, Bay. As long as you're in command, you'll be able to control your emotions and not get startled."

Bay decided to put that into practice straight away and she pulled of her clothes before quickly jumping underneath the thick duvet cover. She was freezing and hoped Ty would be back soon.

He came back half an hour later and after first looking worried at seeing her in bed with the cover up to her chin, he nearly dropped the wood he was carrying when he saw ALL her clothes on the chair.

Bay smiled at him "You better get that fire started fast soldier. That is if you want to join me in here."

_**Thank you again for your wonderful reviews! Are you ready for some pure fluff in the next chapter? A special thanks to my reviewer Nayek for giving me a great idea for this story. Please review and I welcome your suggestions as always!**_


	13. Passion

Ty quickly dropped the wood in the fireplace and looked for a lighter. He glanced towards the bed once more.

"You'll give me a heart attack, Bay. Are you…" He stuttered and Bay laughed.

"Naked? Yes. And I hope you'll be too very soon."

Once Ty was satisfied that the fire was sufficiently lit he walked towards the bed. As he tried to get-in Bay stopped him.

"Clothes off." She commanded.

Ty pulled off his t-shirt and let his pants drop to the floor together with his boxers. He quickly got into bed and turned towards Bay. He pushed the hair away from her face and kissed her softly.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered.

Bay smiled and stretched out on top of him "My psychologist said it would help if I took charge."

Ty lifted his hands "Did she now? Well then…I'm all yours."

Bay kissed him and felt him respond to her touch. He moaned quietly and dug his hands into her hair. They kissed for a long time, enjoying the feeling of being skin-on-skin.

After a while Bay sat-up and straddled him. Ty rested his hands on her thighs and caressed the soft skin with his thumbs. Bay realized that he was waiting for her next move. She took his hands in hers and guided them towards her chest. Knowing exactly what she wanted, he touched her and heard her moan.

She ran her hands over his stomach and leaned forward so that he could continue what he was doing with his mouth.

He complied immediately. Bay ran her tongue across his earlobe "Ty that feels amazing."

It took all of his willpower not to come undone then and there. It had been almost eight months since he'd been in a similar position. She sat back-up and this time she placed her hands on Ty's and slowly moved them up her thighs. She looked at Ty expectantly and shuddered when he proceeded as directed. Just as she thought she would explode, she gently pushed Ty's hand away. He looked at her quizzically. Bay rubbed herself against him.

"Make love to me." She whispered.

Ty thought she'd never looked more beautiful as the soft glow of the fire accentuated her features. He reached towards his pants with one hand. Bay shook her head.

"It's ok. I've been on the pill for one month."

Ty just nodded and placed his hands on her hips as she lifted herself slightly. As they made love, Ty was careful to look for any signs of discomfort, but there were none. She maintained eye contact with him throughout and he knew that that was helping her in some way.

He was thoroughly enjoying having Bay take charge and he realized that he had never before relinquished control to a girl like that. He relaxed and got lost in the moment.

Bay sighed in relief as she lay on top of Ty's chest some minutes later. He stroked her hair and softly kissed the top of her head.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered in her ear.

Bay smiled and framed his face with her hands "Like we should've done this a long time ago."

She felt Ty breathe out in relief. She kissed him longingly and moved off him. He hugged her to him as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Bay, that was amazing. I'm so happy you feel that way."

She ran her hands across his chest and closed her eyes. She'd done it and it had been wonderful. She was so thankful that she'd finally let her guard down and accepted the fact that she needed help. If it weren't for her psychologist, she didn't think she'd get this far.

Now she felt as if she couldn't get enough. She slowly let her hand wander downwards until she found her target. Ty groaned and Bay smiled as she lay on her back and pulled him on top of her.

"I think you can take over now." Bay whispered.

Ty laughed and winked at her "Do you now? What a shame, I was so enjoying being manhandled by you."

Bay ran her nails down his back and scratched him lightly "Manhandled, huh!"

Then she just moaned as she felt his mouth running down her neck.

It was well past 2 AM when they made love for the third time and Ty collapsed on top of Bay in exhaustion. Their bodies were sweaty and Ty ran his hand through Bay's damp hair and kissed her forehead. Bay smiled tiredly.

"I feel like we've found our rhythm again." She gave him a quick peck on the mouth.

Ty rested his weight on his elbows and looked into her eyes.

"I never felt like we'd lost it."

He moved to lie next to her and Bay turned her back to him and nestled into his arms. He lightly kissed her neck and Bay purred in content.

"I'm so tired." She yawned.

"So am I. You wore me out. Let's get some sleep."

Bay closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile on her face. She was woken a few hours later by Ty stirring next to her. She sleepily rubbed her eyes and turned around. Ty was tossing and turning in his sleep with a pained look on his face. Bay quickly shook his shoulder.

"Ty, wake-up. You're having a nightmare."

He sat-up on the bed with a start and looked around confused. He relaxed when he realized his surroundings and ran a hand across his face. Bay stroked his back.

"You want to talk about it?" She asked quietly.

Ty shook his head. When he saw the look of hurt on Bay's face, he took her hand in his.

"Bay, I can't. Not just yet. I saw things…No, I DID things over there…If I told you I'm not sure you could love me anymore."

Bay had never heard Ty sound that desperate. She decided not to push the matter further. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

"You can tell me when you're ready. Nothing could stop me loving you…ever!"

Ty looked at her and marvelled at her innocence. No civilian would ever understand what they had gone through. He hoped that one day he would be able to share with her. He also hoped that day would be far away.

"Let's try and sleep, ok?" He sounded firm and Bay knew that the conversation was over. She nodded in agreement.

Ty lay back down and pulled Bay flush against his body. He held her as close as he could. He hadn't had a nightmare in weeks; lately his sleeplessness had mostly been triggered by Tank's actions. Something about their love-making must have replaced those thoughts by his other demons. He decided to try and put them aside as much as he could.

He woke-up the next morning feeling strangely rested. Bay was sound asleep and he got-up as quietly as he could so as not to wake her. He pulled on his clothes and walked into the kitchen. As he looked outside the window and heard the birds chirping he thought that life could hardly be more perfect.

He'd had two coffees by the time he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, his heart nearly stopped. There stood Bay wearing only a t-shirt and tiny shorts looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Her hair was dishevelled and her lips were swollen from all their kissing.

Bay studied him quizzically "Is something wrong?"

Ty caught his breath "Bay, do you have any idea how impossibly sexy you look right now?"

Bay smiled and tried to pat her hair down "You must be kidding me. Have you looked at my hair?"

Ty caught her hand "Don't touch it. Don't change anything. You're perfection."

Bay looked at him like he was crazy and shook her head.

"Whatever! Can perfection get some coffee? Like right now?"

Ty laughed and poured her the coffee. He'd forgotten for a moment how grumpy his girlfriend could be in the morning. Once she had three sips she managed a proper smile as she looked out of the window.

"It's beautiful out there."

Ty stood behind her and put his hands around her waist.

"I was thinking exactly the same thing earlier."

Bay turned around and kissed him "You look pretty sexy yourself this morning." She ran her hands through his hair.

Ty groaned and lifted her until she was sitting on the kitchen counter. Bay winced.

"What's wrong baby?" Ty asked concerned.

"I'm a bit sore." But she was smiling.

Ty stifled a laugh and whispered in her ear "I'm so sorry to hear that."

Bay laughed and bit his neck "Well...try and say it like you mean it."

Ty stood between her legs and gently ran his thumbs across her inner thighs and under her shorts. He winked at her.

"How about we have a nice long bath and then I'll kiss it all better?"

Bay wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him towards her for a kiss "I think that would be really nice."

Ty lifted her and walked towards the bathroom. Bay stopped him.

"I'm ravenous. Can we have some breakfast first?"

Ty nodded "I'm quite hungry myself. Peanut butter pancakes?"

Bay opened her eyes wide "You can make those?"

Ty laughed loudly "You make it sound like I'm about to take an advanced physics degree. It's not rocket science. You want me to teach you?"

Bay nodded unconvinced and half an hour later the smoke alarm went off. Ty tossed the third burned pancake in the trash. He looked exasperated.

"I'm starting to run-out of supplies here, so I think we might need to continue this lesson another time."

Bay looked incredibly relieved "And to think my biological father was a chef…"

"That gene didn't pass on to you." Ty said dryly.

He expertly tossed the pancakes and handed them to Bay, before making some scrambled eggs for himself.

Bay sighed in content "These are soooo good."

Ty watched her as she devoured three pancakes. He took the last bite out of his eggs and held out his hand.

"Let's go."

Bay smiled and followed him into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth while he ran the bath. Once he was satisfied with the temperature he took off his clothes and stood behind Bay. He tugged at her t-shirt and slipped her shorts off. Bay helped him and he ran his hands over her body while nibbling at her neck. She pulled her hair back and twisted it into a knot at the top of her head.

They settled in the bathtub and Bay closed her eyes as she leaned against him.

"What are you thinking about?" Ty whispered in her ear as he hugged her towards him.

Bay opened one eye "That eight months ago I never thought we'd be together again. Now I'm ecstatic to be here with you."

"You make me so happy, Bay. We'll get through what's haunting us eventually."

Bay nodded "I truly believe so for the first time. We've come a long way already."

They stayed in the bathtub until the water was almost cold. Ty ran his soapy hands along her body one last time.

"We need to get out, you're going to get sick."

Bay looked disappointed "I loved this. Can we do it again tonight?"

Ty kissed her shoulder "I don't see why not. What do you want to do today?"

Bay reached back to stroke his face "Stay in bed and recover from last night."

Ty laughed as he felt her pressing against him. Recovery couldn't be further from her mind.

Once they had dried themselves they walked back towards the bedroom, not even bothering with putting on clothes. Ty laid next to Bay and ran his hand up her leg.

"Feeling better?".

Bay felt a shiver running down her spine when she heard his husky voice.

She nodded "Much better. Though I'm feeling muscles that I didn't even know existed."

He kissed her lightly "We'll take it easy this morning. I'm on my last legs as well."

Two hours later their bodies were intertwined and both were slightly out of breath. Ty had refused to make love to her again, but had made sure to satisfy her in any other way possible. They were basking in the afterglow when Ty's cell phone rang.

He quickly fished it out of the pocket of his jeans and frowned when he saw the caller id. He took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Private Mendoza"

Bay looked shocked when she realized what was happening. She felt her heart beating at a record speed.

"Understood, sir." Ty hung-up the phone.

Bay was white as a sheet "Where are they sending you?"

Ty stroked her cheek "They're sending us to Maryland."

Bay let out a big breath of relief "I never thought that Maryland could seem like just next door. I was so scared for a moment. When?"

"In a fortnight."

Bay sat-up in the bed "That means we don't need to cut our weekend short. Let's make these 14 days count. I'll make the other arrangements as soon as we get back."

Ty couldn't believe how adult Bay sounded as compared to the last time they'd gone through a similar situation. He took her back in his arms.

"I love you so much Bay, you can't believe what it means to me that you're coming with me."

Bay sighed "You'll make a proper army wife out of me someday."

Ty laughed "I guess you never saw that one coming. I hope that we can find you a college as soon as possible. We need to start looking first thing Monday morning."

Bay shook her head "First thing Monday morning I'll go and make amends with Daphne and Regina. I feel that the time is right now."

_**I won't be able to update for a week, so I wanted to make it count and leave you with a really fluffy chapter. I'm not very good at writing T, so I hope I haven't crossed the line into M. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please review.**_


	14. Life

Bay looked at the doctor incredulously.

"I'm pregnant? But…but…how can that be?"

The doctor smiled at the look of shock on her face.

"Well, you are married Mrs. Mendoza, it tends to happen."

Bay felt her face flush "Yes, but not at this point in our lives."

The doctor patted her hand "It will be fine. We'll run some tests and pay closer attention to your family history."

Bay just nodded "I'll have to tell my family, I'm not sure how they will take this."

"You better do it soon Mrs. Mendoza, you're 16 weeks pregnant, and you'll start showing very soon. Don't look scared, I'm sure everything will turn out fine. This is not the first time I've seen this, you know?"

Bay smiled faintly "And there was me thinking I had a stomach bug and lack of vitamins."

The doctor shook her hand "Talk to your family, then call me to schedule the tests. I'll see you very soon."

Bay walked to her car in a state of shock. She needed to see Ty urgently. As if in trance she drove through the familiar streets until she reached the car dealership where her husband worked.

She walked into the building and saw him standing in the showroom deeply engrossed in a conversation with a colleague. He took one look at her face and quickly opened the door to his office.

Bay gratefully pulled a chair and sat down. Ty looked at her worriedly.

"What happened Bay? You're as white as a sheet. Was it the doctor? Is something wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." Bay blurted out.

Ty looked at her in shock "What?"

"You heard me. The doctor just told me. I'm as shocked as you are."

Ty ran a hand through his hair "How did that happen?"

Bay laughed nervously "The normal way I suspect."

Ty took her hand and smiled "Wow. I don't know what to say. I hope it's a boy. Or a girl. I don't care. We'll deal with this."

Bay let out a relieved sigh "I'm 4 months gone. Let's get everyone together at dinner. I'm going home now. I'm cancelling all my appointments for the afternoon."

Ty hugged her to him "I love you. Don't be scared. We'll manage this even though it's not the ideal time with the college costs and all that."

Bay smiled "I guess so. I love you too."

Later that evening they had everyone gathered around the table. They'd decided to get a pizza take-out as it was everyone's favourite food and cooking was the last thing on their minds.

Once the food was dished out three pairs of eyes glanced at them expectantly. Ty took Bay's hand.

Bay took a deep breath "We're having a baby."

After a second of shocked silence, hell broke loose.

"You're WHAT?" Their fourteen year old daughter Andrea exclaimed.

"That's disgusting! I can't believe you're still doing it! What will my friends say? My PROM is tomorrow."

Alexia, their oldest, could hardly hide her disgust.

Anita at ten was torn between being excited and joining her older sisters in their outrage.

"Is it a boy?" She asked.

Ty and Bay waited for the ruckus to die down. Ty lifted a hand.

"Andrea, you heard your mother, we're having a baby; Alex, we expect a little more respect from you and Anita, we don't know yet. Your mother just found out today."

Alexia put down her slice of pizza and got-up "I can't eat after this. I'm going up to my room."

She ran up the stairs and Bay was prepared to follow her when she felt Ty's hand on her arm.

"Leave her. I'll go up in a little while."

Bay nodded gratefully. Alex was very close to Ty. He would be able to get through to her more than she ever would.

Andrea was looking down at her plate. She seemed to have lost her appetite as well.

"But Mum, Dad you're so old. How can you still have babies?"

"They're not old." Anita exclaimed, making her parents smile.

"Andrea, your father and I were as surprised as you are. The doctor doesn't seem to be very worried, I need to do more tests than I did when I had you girls, but everything should be fine."

"Do I have to tell them at school?" Andrea looked worried.

Ty nodded "You'll have to at some point; your mother won't be able to hide it much longer."

"Can I just take the bus home?" Anita was still not resting her case.

"We'll see." Bay said tiredly.

"I'm going to tell everyone at school." Anita exclaimed "It'll be just like having a real doll!"

"Keep your mouth shut." Andrea said angrily "What if they'll tell their parents. The kids at my school will find out."

"Enough of that." Ty slammed his hand on the table "Andrea, you'll not speak to your sister like that. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Anita, please wait until your mother has done all her tests and we're sure that everything is ok."

Andrea got up "Can I be excused?" She said softly.

"Yes, we'll talk later." Ty said curtly.

Bay felt pain at seeing the look of hurt on her daughter's face. She was so similar to Ty in that she kept most of her feelings to herself. Being the middle child had never been easy and Bay felt that Ty was often too hard on her.

Alex on the other hand was the exact opposite. When she got upset, the whole world was made aware of it. Bay had been furious earlier when her first-born had just stalked off and banged three doors on the way to her bedroom and she'd been prepared to go after her and give her a piece of her mind.

Ty had, as always, prevented the clash. He shared a special bond with Alex, which according to him was due to the fact that she was so similar to Bay. Bay couldn't agree less, but today of all days she was happy that Ty was taking the lead with calming their daughter down.

"Can I watch cartoons?" Bay was interrupted in her reverie by Anita.

Ty looked at his watch "Half an hour, then its bed time."

Anita smiled and whispered "I'm really excited about the baby, but don't tell Alex and Andrea."

Bay and Ty smiled and Ty ruffled her hair "We're excited as well and you'll make the best older sister."

He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head "Half an hour, ok?"

They watched their youngest disappear into the lounge. Bay looked exhausted.

"Ty, I don't think I can do this again. The sleepless nights, the diapers, the crying. I'm 42 years old. I deserve a break"

She looked like she was about to cry. Ty put his arm around her.

"Of course we can do this again. Forget about today. They're teenagers; we already knew they weren't going to take it that well."

"I can't believe they're ashamed of us." Bay said.

"They'll come round, Bay. I'll speak to Alex now. They'll love the baby and I'm sure they will help us out."

Bay nodded a bit unconvinced.

"Go lay down, you deserve a rest. I'll come and check on you as soon as I'm done with Alex."

He held out his hand and they went upstairs. Bay retreated into their bedroom and Ty knocked on Alex's door.

"Go away." Came the muffled response.

Ty just opened the door and stepped in. His heart constricted at seeing the tearful face of his daughter. He sat down on the bed.

"Please don't cry Alex, it's not the end of the world, you know?"

"She always steals my thunder, Dad. Tomorrow is my prom; it's one of the most important days of my life. And now it's all about mum again."

Ty sighed. He had never understood the relationship between Alexis and Bay. It seemed to him that they were in constant competition.

"Alex, you're not being fair here. We just found out today. This has nothing to do with your prom. Of course you're excited and so are we. Do you really want to go all puffy eyed?"

He winked at her and she looked horrified.

"Do you think they'll be able to tell I've been crying?" She jumped up and ran to the mirror.

"Not if you stop right now." Ty said with a serious expression.

Alex came back and sat down next to him.

"What will my friends say?" She looked at him.

"I don't know Alex. They should be happy for you. Don't you always tell me that you're so happy that we're together and that all your friends' parents are divorced or fighting all the time?"

Alex shrugged her shoulders "I guess."

"So what if we're having a baby, it's not really any of their business."

"Did you and Mum plan this?" Alex asked horrified.

"No, we didn't. We never thought it could happen at our age."

"Neither did I Dad. I mean look at you and Mum, you guys have grey hairs, and you shouldn't be having babies."

Ty laughed.

"We're not as young as when we had you, that's for sure. That's why we could really use a bit of help here."

"I'm not changing any diapers!" Alexis looked disgusted.

"I'm sure there are other ways you can help out."

"Like how?" Alexis looked suspicious.

Ty winked at her "Well, I don't know. A college scholarship would be great for starters, you know."

Finally his daughter laughed "Dad, you are incorrigible."

Ty smiled in relief "Are we still going on our run?"

Alexis mulled it over for a second and then nodded.

"Yes, but I need to eat something. I'm starving."

Ty got-up "I'll see you downstairs in 15 minutes."

Ty made his way into the bedroom to check on Bay. He found her lying in bed looking at the ceiling. He stretched out next to her and placed a hand on her belly.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered.

"Exhausted. How's Alex?" Bay frowned.

"She's fine now. More worried about prom than anything else."

Bay smiled "I took the day off tomorrow to treat her to a spa day. I haven't told her yet."

"I'm sure she'll love that. You two could use a nice day out."

Bay took his hand "I'm so scared that something will go wrong."

Ty hugged her to him "I'm sure everything will be fine, after all you managed to produce three beautiful girls."

Bay nodded "They're something else. I never thought we would send one of them to college and have a baby at the same time."

Ty laughed quietly "Neither did I."

He got-up from the bed "I need to change. Our daughter is downstairs eating something before we go for a run."

Bay smiled "How do you always manage to wrap her around your little finger? It's supposed to be the other way round, you know?"

Ty kissed her softly "Just as I manage with you."

They heard a knock on the door and Andrea stepped inside the room. Bay smiled at her and Andrea looked relieved.

"Mum, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said about you being old and stuff. You look much better than the other mothers in my school"

Bay patted the bed "Why don't you lie down with your old mother for a minute."

Andrea laughed before flopping herself sown on the bed. Ty smiled and picked-up his clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.

He met Alex downstairs five minutes later and reminded his little one that it was time for bed. Anita obediently turned off the TV and went upstairs.

She went past her mother's room and saw her sister on the bed.

"Can I join you?" She asked tentatively.

Bay smiled "Of course you can."

Bay lay in the middle of her two daughters and closed her eyes. She thought about the time she had first moved to Maryland….

_**I am sorry it took me so long to update. I think none of you was expecting this, and I am a bit surprised at it myself. There will be a lot of flashbacks as to how it came to all of this. I hope that you will like it. Looking forward to your reviews as always.**_


	15. Teenagers

_It had taken Bay two months before she was able to join Ty in Frederick, Maryland. She so much had wanted to go sooner, but she wanted to keep her promise to Wes about the benches._

_Making peace with Regina and Daphne had taken a huge weight of her shoulders and weren't it for Regina's help with conducting interviews with other heroes of East Riverside and putting her own talents to a good use in creating the artwork of the benches, Bay would have never been able to leave KC._

_For Bay's good-bye party Daphne had hired a Taco Truck and they had all gathered in the park. Sitting on the benches, munching on delicious tacos with all her friends and family gathered around her, Bay had seldomly felt more fulfilled. _

"_I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow, sis!" Toby said forlornly._

"_I know Toby, I'll miss you guys so much." Bay smiled at him._

"_What will you do until college starts?" Daphne asked._

"_I will set Bay up with some contacts I have over there and hopefully her work will get commissioned." Wes said before Bay could reply._

"_I'll try and paint and volunteer at some place that helps women in need." _

_They had stayed in the park until well after midnight at which time Regina had discreetly tapped her watch. She had volunteered to keep Bay company on the road trip to Frederick and she had wanted to have an early start._

_The next day they were on the road. After a couple of hours of mindless chatting Regina had turned to Bay._

"_When will you tell them about college?"_

_Bay had frowned. Regina was the only one she had confided in about her predicament. No college was willing to take her based on her record. While most colleges were normally forgiving, her case was different in that she allegedly had wrecked the property of a learning institution. _

"_I don't know Regina, I was hoping to find a solution once I'm there. This is so embarrassing, I haven't even told Ty yet."_

_Regina had sighed. Bay knew that she had felt so guilty that she was paying such a high price for taking the fall for Daphne._

_Bay tried to sound more upbeat "It's still early. College doesn't start until August. Maybe I'll work something out until then."_

_Regina had decided to let the matter rest and to enjoy the rest of the road trip with her daughter. I was rare that she had Bay all to herself. They had spent the night at a small hotel on the way to Maryland and they finally arrived at Bay's new home two days after they had left._

_Regina told Bay later that would never forget the look on Ty's face when he had hugged Bay to him that evening. He looked so happy and at peace with himself that Regina had quickly forgotten any regrets she had felt when Bay had told her that she was moving._

_Bay would still laugh with Regina today about the fact that the first night she had spent at her new home, she had shared the bed with her, while Ty slept on the couch in the living room._

_\- " -_

Bay opened her eyes and saw that Andrea had left and Anita had fallen asleep while she had been dozing. She lightly kissed her daughter's curly hair. She so much enjoyed this age. At 10 years old they were still childish enough for a cuddle, while at the same time they could almost participate in all their conversations by now.

She wondered if Anita was not going to be the one suffering the most with the pregnancy. She was so used to being the baby of the family and having her parents mostly to herself while her sisters were now too busy with their own social lives. It would be hard for her to share her mother and father with a new born.

She heard the door open a few minutes later and Ty stepped into the room looking sweaty and tired. Gone were the days when her husband could run for miles and miles before breaking into a sweat. These days Alex was the one giving him a run for his money.

He quickly kissed Bay, before picking up Anita and carrying her into her bed. After a quick shower he joined Bay under the covers. Bay snuggled into his arms.

"Did you have a good work-out?" She yawned at the thought of it.

"Your daughter was on fire tonight. It must have been all that pent-up rage. She made me run twice as long as usual. I thought I was going to have a heart-attack."

Bay patted his leg "In that case I think you mean YOUR daughter."

Ty stretched his tired legs and stroked her arm "We are finally alone after this crazy day. You never seize to surprise me, wife."

Bay laughed "It's not like you haven't had a part in this, you know?"

Ty smiled "Do you have any idea when it happened?"

Bay frowned and picked-up her phone. She tapped the screen a few times.

"The doctor said sixteen weeks. Let me look at my calendar" Her face lit-up "Ah yes, remember that week when Daphne came to visit and took the kids camping for a weekend?"

Ty lifted his eyebrows "How could I forget? The first night we had to ourselves in a very long time. That was memorable, no wonder you got pregnant."

Bay felt the heat in her cheeks. Ty couldn't believe that after nearly 20 years of marriage he could still make his wife blush.

"I really didn't think there was any chance of another pregnancy. I mean, it's been nearly 11 years and nothing. Then all of a sudden this happens."

"I wish I could have seen your face when the doctor told you." Ty said wistfully.

Bay shrugged "It probably looked like yours when I told you at the dealership."

"When are we telling John, Kathryn and Regina?" Ty asked.

Bay thought about it for a bit "I want to do the tests first. I'll need an amnio this time and it has certain risks. I don't want to worry them unnecessarily."

Ty nodded "You're right let's wait a bit. Go to sleep now. You have a busy day tomorrow. It's not every day you get to spend the whole day and evening with Alex. The day of her prom will wear us out."

"Oh yes" Bay fully concurred and closed her eyes.

The next morning at breakfast Bay finished packing the lunch for Andrea and Anita and picked up an envelope from the drawer before walking up the stairs to get Alexis. She knocked at the door to her daughter's bedroom.

"Come in." She heard a sleepy voice.

Bay stepped into the room.

"Good morning Alex, how are feeling today? Ready for prom?"

Alex actually smiled "Hi Mum, yes I'm really looking forward to it."

Bay sat on the bed and handed her daughter the envelope.

"This is a little something from me. I thought we could spend the day together."

Alex frowned and opened the envelope. Then her eyes lit-up.

"We're going to the spa? That is so cool."

Bay smiled "And to the hairdresser after. That is if you can make it out of your bed in time."

Alexis threw the covers on the floor and jumped out of bed.

"I'll be down in 15 minutes."

Two hours later they were relaxing in the quiet room after having a massage. They were the only ones there.

Alexis stretched her long limbs and looked like a cat. Bay looked at her beautiful daughter. She was by far the best looking one in the family. Bay always thought of her as the female equivalent of her father. The only thing she had inherited from Bay was her big brown eyes. Alexis was so tall; Bay couldn't fathom were those genes had come from. She was almost taller than Ty and incredibly graceful.

Alexis had always shown interest in sport. She'd done ballet until she was 13, when she'd decided that track and field was her thing. Her father hadn't been joking when he'd mentioned the scholarship. Alex herself knew that her chances of getting one were very high.

"What are you thinking about, Mum?" Alex said sleepily.

"About how beautiful and grown-up you look. And how I would have killed for those legs when I was your age."

Alex smiled "They are pretty good legs."

"You will look stunning in that dress we picked."

Alex nodded "I'm dying to see how it looks with the make-up and the new shoes. I can't wait to see Ryan's face. I'm going to party all night!"

"As long as all night means that you're home by 11, by all means."

"11? Mom, really? I thought midnight!" Alex looked outraged.

"There is no way your father and I will let you stay out until midnight. I had a hard time convincing him not to go pick-you up."

Alex sulked "That would have been really embarrassing!"

Bay thought about her own prom and how disastrously it had ended. That was a scar she would carry in her heart forever. She also remembered the plans she had had for that night.

"Alex…I know that you and Ryan have been together for a while. I also know that a lot of things happen at prom. Can you promise me that you'll be safe?"

Bay could almost sense Alex's fury, it was that palpable.

"Mom, not the talk again please. I'm so over his. I do not want to discuss sex with you…like ever!"

Bay sighed. She had tried and she had failed…again!

Alex was still outraged "I mean, really, to talk to me about being safe…with you in THAT condition."

Alex waved her hand towards Bay's stomach in a disgusted manner. Bay was furious.

"It's not exactly the same thing, Alex. I had you when I was 24. I'm not a teenager with my life ahead of me. I'm married with three daughters."

"And that's how it should have stayed." Alex said scornfully.

"Oh Alex, stop it, you're being childish and selfish. I thought we were past discussing your disgust at my pregnancy."

"No Mum, you and Dad are the selfish ones. You didn't think about any of us when you decided to have another child. I'm seventeen! There's no one I know who's had a baby brother or sister at 17!"

"Well, then you'll have a story to tell when you're older." Bay huffed.

"You know what, Mum. I can't wait to go to college as far away from here as possible so that I don't have to explain this mess to anyone."

Bay felt the tears sting in her eyes and turned her back on her daughter.

"I'm really sorry you feel that way."

Bay closed her eyes and thought about her experiences with college.

_**Ok, ok I'm sorry, I know that many of you don't like the story at the moment. Sometimes I have a block and I need a certain anchor to keep writing the story. The switch between future and present gives me that anchor. I know that some of you want me to delete the chapter and start from the end of chapter 14, but I feel that I won't have much energy to continue the story like that. I will continue with the switches between Bay and Ty's memories and the future. I hope that you'll still read and review.**_


	16. Prom

_**Frederick, Maryland, the past**_

Ty kissed his way down Bay's body. He'd missed her so much during the two months they'd been apart. Bay purred in content and stretched her body.

"Ty, I need to tell you something."

The serious tone of her voice got his attention immediately.

"What is it, baby?'" He looked at her concerned.

Bay blushed "I spoke to a few colleges in the area and it seems that none of them is willing to accept my application because of my criminal record."

Ty took a deep breath as he felt the anger rising in him.

"Unbelievable! To think that Daphne is on her way to become a doctor and you've ruined your future because of her."

Bay sighed "What am I going to do?"

Ty ran a hand across his face "I don't know either, I'm sure we'll work something out."

Bay spent most of the first two weeks in Maryland with doing paperwork and exploring her new home. While Frederick was a small town, the close proximity to Baltimore meant that Bay could take her car and drive the short distance to the city. She loved nothing more than sitting by the sea. She'd never lived in close proximity to water and now she never wanted to move inland again.

The apartment they lived in was tiny, but Bay loved it. While they would have been able to afford something slightly larger in another neighborhood, Ty had preferred to rent a smaller place in a safer part of town. Bay loved the modern design of their building and she quickly became friendly with the neighbors.

One day Ty came home in the evening with Aida in tow. Bay looked surprised when she saw them barging through the door.

"Hi Bay, Aida came to visit for two days and I thought you two could talk. She might have a solution for you."

Ty went to fix something for them to eat and Aida sat with Bay on the small couch.

"It's nice to see you, Aida. Where are you these days?"

"I'm down in Missouri at the hospital. It's not bad." Aida smiled.

Bay nodded "Has Ty told you about what happened?"

"In as many words as your talkative boyfriend can mutter, yes, he has." Aida winked at her.

Bay laughed "I'm at crossroads. I really don't know what to do and there's only so much I can do to kill time."

"I might have a solution. When I first enlisted I spent one year over here. One of my friends is a social worker at the women's center/shelter downtown. Would you be interested in volunteering? I didn't want to overstep and I haven't talked to her yet, but if there's one thing I'm sure of is that she wouldn't care about your priors."

Bay opened her eyes in wonder "I'd love to Aida, I don't even know how to thank you."

Aida fished out her phone "I'll call her right now."

Bay joined Ty in the little kitchen and told him about their conversation. Ty chuckled as Bay hugged him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Aida interrupted their little moment "Linda is thrilled and she'll meet with us tomorrow. Can I collect you at 3?"

Bay beamed "Yes, thank you, thank you so much!"

Aida stayed with them and had a quick bite to eat, before she left to see other friends she had in the area.

Bay settled with Ty in front of the TV.

"I'm so excited about tomorrow. I hope Linda likes me. This is exactly what I wanted to do in KC."

Ty played with her hair "I told you back then that Aida might be of help."

Bay kissed him "She's great. And to think about the amount of times I had cursed her in my head."

A shadow passed across Ty's face "I'll never forgive myself for what I did."

"It's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. We're here and together. We've both done mistakes in the past, now we'll have to move on."

Ty raised an eyebrow "You don't sound at all like the rebellious eggplant I met in East Riverside four years ago. Where is she gone and what have you done with her?"

Bay laughed loudly "That seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then!"

Ty nodded thoughtfully "I'm so sorry about college."

Bay ran a hand through his hair "Don't worry. People skip college all the time. Look at you. You didn't turn out too bad yourself."

"I would love to have had the choice to go to college. Unfortunately I didn't."

"All I want is to support myself Ty, I don't want to be a kept woman, like ever! It's hard for me to live of you and my father."

Bay sounded sad and Ty hugged her to her.

"Sweetheart, you're 19 years old. You've got plenty of time to earn money. I don't want you to worry about that. It's what partners do, they support one another."

Bay smiled "Partner…I like that. It sounds so much more adult than boyfriend."

She squealed as Ty lifted her and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and stretched out on top of her. He smiled as he kissed her.

"Yet, for now you're a kept woman and I'm choosing to keep you in our bed for as long as I want to."

Bay laughed and placed her legs around his waist.

"I can't think of a better place to be."

Bay hit it off with Linda from the first moment she set eyes on her. She was an energetic woman in her forties, who had seen her share of misery, yet she folded Bay into an embrace as if she'd known her for years.

Bay felt instantly at home.

Rather than conducting a job interview, they just talked for an hour and Bay felt so at ease that she told her about the switch, the rape, her art and what had led her to move to Maryland.

Linda looked at her thoughtfully "Such a short life, and so many experiences. I think you'll fit right in. And you said you can sign?"

Bay nodded "I'm fluent in ASL."

"I have this mother here with her 5 year old child. The girl is deaf. I so much want to communicate with her, but I can't. I think that will be your first project."

Bay beamed "This sounds so much better than college!"

Linda wagged a finger at Bay "Oh no, missy, you'll still go to college. The community college here is great and you'll be able to get an Associate Degree. Once you have that enough time will have passed for you to go into a proper college."

"Community college?" Bay asked incredulously "How come I never thought of that. I will drive by there on my way home and get the paperwork."

Linda patted her hand "Now we're talking."

_**Kansas City, Kansas, the future**_

Ty closed the door to the garage and stepped into the house. He found Bay in the kitchen doing homework with Anita.

"How was your day at the spa?" He asked Bay.

Bay rolled her eyes slightly "Ok I guess, Alex was being Alex for a bit, then she calmed down by the time we got to the hairdresser."

Ty nodded "Anything I should know about?"

Bay shook her head "Nothing. Can you finish up with Anita? I'm going upstairs to check on Alex."

Ty sat at the table and watched Bay leave. Alexis had the music blaring and as her door was open for a change. Bay stepped right in.

"Do you need some help?" Bay offered.

Alexis looked at her relieved. "Yes Mum, I need your help getting into this dress. It doesn't have a zipper. I'm going to ruin my hair and make-up."

"Let's try a trick that your grandma Regina taught me once."

Bay left to get a plastic bag. Alexis looked at her with a question in her eyes once Bay handed it to her.

"Now, we'll work very quickly. Put the bag over your head while I help you with the dress."

Alexis smiled "Brilliant."

She pulled the bag over her head and Bay quickly slid the dress on her. Alex carefully removed the bag and looked at the dress.

"No make-up stains!" She said triumphantly.

"Nope! Sometimes it helps having a trained hairdresser at a mother."

Bay stepped back and looked at her daughter in the simple black dress.

"I'm so happy you chose that dress Alex, it looks amazing."

Her daughter was so beautiful that she didn't need the bells, whistles and frills of a regular prom dress. The black dress accentuated her features and she looked so grown-up as she stepped into her silver sandals.

Alex blew her bangs out of her face and applied her lipstick. The doorbell rang. Bay winked at her daughter.

"That's probably Ryan. Let me go downstairs before your father works him into a mess."

Alexis laughed "Thanks, Mum! I'll be down in 5 minutes."

Bay came down just as Ty shook Ryan's hand. He let his handshake linger for longer (and probably firmer) than necessary. She quickly stepped next to Ty.

"Mr. Mendoza, Mrs. Mendoza, it's so good to see you. These are for you Ma'am."

Ryan handed Bay the flowers and Bay accepted with a smile.

"Ryan, these are so beautiful. Thank you! Alex will be down in a minute."

Ryan flashed a radiant smile and Bay laced her arm with Ty's and gently but firmly pulled him into the hall. Her husband didn't do well dealing with Alexis's suitors.

Anita hopped into the lounge and smiled at Ryan.

"Hi Ryan, when are we playing soccer again?"

Ryan laughed "Next weekend?"

Andrea came down as well and said hello to Ryan.

"Your girlfriend looks amazing today! Just wait until you see her."

Just then Alexis made a grand entrance and took Ty's and Ryan's breath away. She looked stunning as she came down the stairs smiling. Ryan took her hand and kissed her cheek.

"You look amazing." Alexis beamed at him.

Ty smiled at his daughter, snapped a couple of photos and then shot a glance at Bay and disappeared. Bay nodded discreetly and got everyone together for a few more pictures.

Ty came back a few minutes later.

"Alex, we have a surprise for you. It's out here."

They all stepped outside and Alexis squealed when she saw the sleek little red convertible car parked outside.

"Dad, Mum, it's beautiful. Is it mine? I love it!"

Ty smiled "It's yours for tonight. I just bought it of a customer yesterday. It will go on sale next week. We thought it would be nice for you to take to your prom."

Ty handed the keys to Alexis.

"Dad, Mum, it's perfect! Thank you!"

Ryan smiled "Wow! It's like taking Cinderella to the ball!"

"As long as Cinderella is home by eleven." Ty said dryly.

Ryan did a mock salute "Understood, sir, twenty-three hundred hours it is!"

Ty looked at Ryan as if he'd lost his mind and Bay stifled a laugh. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that their daughter would be home in time. While Ty might have left the Army ages ago, there was one thing he wouldn't tolerate and that was unpunctuality. Even Bay, who had never been the best at keeping time, had learned to be punctual over the years. She knew that Alex would be walking through that door at five to eleven.

They watched as Alexis and Ryan walked to the car and she started the engine. The car came to life with a soft purr.

"I love it!" Alexis shouted as she waved at them.

Ty smiled and placed an arm around Bay and the other one around Andrea. He kissed his middle daughter's temple.

"Soon it will be you driving off in car like that looking beautiful." He said wistfully.

Andrea looked slightly horrified "No, Dad, that's not for me. I couldn't bear having everyone stare at me if I drove up in that thing. I'll just borrow yours."

Ty laughed "I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't have wanted that thing either."

"I want one, Dad, a pink one!" Anita chimed in.

Ty hugged his youngest daughter towards him "I'm going to find you the prettiest pink car there is."

Anita squealed in delight and Bay smiled. Having three daughters hadn't been easy at times, but moments like this made it all worth it. She turned towards her family.

"How about we take Dad's boring car and we all go out for dinner?"

They drove to their favorite Italian restaurant and Bay ate an enormous amount of food.

"That was delicious, just what I needed." She said happily after the waiter had cleared their plates.

"When will we know if it's a boy or a girl?" Andrea asked.

Ty kicked Bay softly under the table. Bay smiled, she had noticed the "we" as well. Slowly their daughters were coming around.

"Next week when I have the ultrasound. Do you want to come?"

Andrea mulled it over "Yes, I think so."

"What's an ultrasound? Can I come too?" Asked Anita.

"It's when they check the baby in my belly. We can hear the heartbeat and see if it's a boy or a girl. We can all go together." Bay said.

"How's your art project coming along?" Ty asked Andrea.

"It's nearly done. Maybe we can drive to school together tomorrow and you and Mum can see it?"

"Yes, definitely." Ty said "I'm so proud of you!"

Andrea beamed. She had inherited her mother's art skills and she'd been chosen to represent her school at city-wide competition.

Once they got back home, Andrea excused herself to do homework and Ty tucked a sleepy Anita into bed. He went into their bedroom and found a frowning Bay staring at the mirror. He stood behind her.

"What are we looking at?" He asked.

"Grey hairs. Do I really have that many?"

Ty looked at Bay's hair intently "None that I can see. I think our daughter was referring to mine more than yours."

Bay framed his face and stroked his hair just above his ears "I think there's only ten of them or so. It makes you look distinguished."

Ty ran his hands through Bay's shoulder length hair "You hair is the most amazing and the most annoying thing ever."

Bay laughed "It's only annoying to you because Anita inherited it. You never had to deal with mine."

"They call her crazy curls at the dealership." Ty winked at her.

Bay tiptoed and kissed Ty "I love you, grey hairs, reading glasses and all."

Ty hugged her towards him and returned her kiss "I love you too, my darling wife, crazy curls and all."

Bay moaned and pressed herself against him. Ty looked at her in surprise with a question in his eyes. She nodded and they moved in sync. Ty locked the door and Bay turned on the news on TV. They let themselves fall on the bed.

Bay straddled him, pulled off his shirt and removed hers in the process. She let her hands roam down his body and he groaned when she reached his boxers. He lifted himself slightly and looked at her.

"Are you sure about this? Did the doctor say its ok?"

Bay just nodded. Ty flipped her around and ran his mouth down her neck.

Half an hour later Bay rested her head on the pillow slightly breathless. Ty ran his hand over her stomach and the tiny bump that had formed.

"I love this baby already." He kissed her belly.

"So do I, and I so much want a boy." Bay rested her hand on top of his.

"That would be nice for a change. Although I would also keep it if it's a girl." Ty winked at Bay.

Bay laughed "Like we'd have a choice."

Ty got up and pulled his clothes back on before unlocking the door and turning off the TV. He returned to the bed.

"You want to go to sleep? I'll wait-up for her."

"I'm sure you will. I doubt that I'll go to sleep before she's home." Bay yawned.

Ty stroked her shoulder "I don't like Ryan."

Bay laughed "Really? Because you really liked Tom and Michael."

Ty frowned "No, I hated them as well."

"You're just like my father. He had only me; you'll have another set of Ryans, Toms and Michaels with Andrea and Anita."

"I'm not like John. I wouldn't let my daughters near anyone like me. You got lucky with John."

Bay laughed loudly "Is that right? And to think how angry you got when my dad was stalking us."

"I would do exactly the same if that boy didn't live with his parents." Ty huffed.

Bay decided to rest her case. There was no use getting her husband all worked up. Teenagers would always be teenagers and find ways to do what they wanted. Ty had a very short memory when it came to dealing with their daughters.

"Aida is coming for dinner tomorrow to talk about work and I'll have to tell her about the baby. We might need to hire someone to help us for a year." Bay changed the subject.

"Ok, I'll take the girls out bowling or something so you two can talk." Ty said.

He glanced at his watch. His daughter had 15 minutes left before the car turned into a pumpkin.

_**A nice long chapter to make-up for the weekend dry-spell. I hope you like it. I'm finding my rhythm now with the switch from past to future. Please let me know if this flows better than with the flashbacks from Bay's or Ty's perspective. It won't always be this fluffy/happy. Looking forward to your reviews as always! **_


	17. Work

_**Frederick, Maryland, the past**_

Bay loved nothing more than working with the children at the shelter. Some of them were tiny, yet their eyes told stories of a much older age. Linda had always wanted to start an art program and Bay had been the most welcome addition she'd had in years.

In some ways Linda was like a mother figure to Bay, so different from Kathryn and Regina, yet exactly what she had needed at that time in her life.

Bay was one month from graduating from community college with her Associate Degree in Psychology. As she walked around the little room complimenting the kids on their drawings and proudly hanging them up to dry, she felt fulfilled.

The door opened behind her and she smiled at Linda. She turned serious when she saw the worried look on her face.

"Linda, what happened, you look like you've seen a ghost." Bay said worriedly.

"It's my mother, she's had a stroke, I need fly back home tonight." Linda had tears in her eyes.

"Oh no!" Bay hugged her. Linda grabbed Bay's arms.

"Bay, I know you don't want to do it, but there's the presentation at the college, I need you to go."

Bay shuddered "Linda, I don't think I…"

"Bay, it's important and I know how much you still suffer from your own experiences, but we get this one slot. One slot to talk and possibly prevent such cases in the future."

"I don't know Linda, I've never presented anything and on this particular subject…" Bay looked unsure of herself.

"I'll give you my notes. It's tomorrow. I've worked so hard to make this awareness day happen. Please Bay, I wouldn't ask you if I could go myself."

Bay knew that Linda was right and that it was a subject almost no one talked about. To get the college to agree to host an awareness day had been a milestone.

"I'll do it." Bay said and Linda looked relieved.

Once she got home after her classes, Bay reviewed the materials provided by Linda. So many statistics, so many figures! Bay thought her head would explode. By the time Ty got home she was a mess.

"What's wrong Bay, did something happen?" He asked worriedly.

Bay quickly told him and showed him the notes.

"I don't think I can do this Ty. Oh why did Linda have to leave?" Bay sighed loudly.

Ty bit his lip. He didn't really want Bay to relive that whole episode. He'd so much enjoyed seeing how far she'd come and how happy she was. He'd worked hard at keeping his feelings about the matter suppressed and had managed to expel Tank into the deepest hole he could find in his memory, together with other memories he didn't want to relive. Yet, it would be a part of their lives forever.

He slowly removed his uniform and hung-it up by the door. There was really no right answer. He took a deep breath.

"I think you should do it. I think you CAN do it. I think you'll do a much better job than Linda."

Bay looked at him in shock. She'd never thought that Ty would take that route.

"Have you looked at this Ty? I never did a presentation, look at these numbers…"

Ty took the papers from her and flipped through them. Then he tossed them in the trash.

Bay shrieked and ran to the trashcan to fish them out.

"Ty, what in God's name? What are you doing? That's my only copy, I need to study those figures."

Ty flipped her around to face him.

"You don't need numbers, Bay! Numbers are for people who know nothing and want to look intelligent. Don't you realize? You ARE the numbers! Just be yourself!"

Bay opened and closed her mouth.

"Are you crazy? Do you really want me to stand up there and talk about myself? You of all people? My boyfriend? With your kind of job?"

Ty placed his hands on his hips.

"That's exactly what I want you to do. I know how important the subject is to you. I know how worked-up you get every time there's another article in the paper about a cover-up. This is your chance to help. They will relate to YOU! Not some stupid figures."

Bay mulled it over.

"And you'd be ok with that? With me standing there and telling my story?"

Ty hugged her tightly "I'd be so damn proud of you if you did."

Bay took a deep breath and took in his smell.

"I feel safe with you, Ty. When I'm here with you nothing bad can happen to me."

Ty ran his hands along her back.

"I know. I'll be there with you tomorrow. I'll always be there."

Bay grabbed her notes again "I still want to take these. And I need a new outfit."

Ty took a deep breath. He hoped that he'd been right. At this point it was difficult to say who was in a bigger state of nervousness. He opened his laptop to put in a short-notice leave request for the following afternoon.

Bay left early the next morning to drive to the mall in Baltimore. She'd looked through her closet, but had found nothing appropriate to wear. Today she wanted to look adult and in control.

No sooner had she entered the building she saw it. A black jumpsuit with a high collar and a silver belt. That was the one she wanted. She would pair it with a red blazer she had at home. She picked-up a pair of high heels while she was there and as she had time to spare she decided to go to the hairdresser.

Bay was applying her make-up when Ty got home at lunch time. When she stepped out of the bedroom he didn't know what had hit him. He'd never seen Bay look so glamorous. Bay smiled at the look on his face.

"You're ok?" She asked as she kissed his cheek.

"Bay, wow, that's all I can say. Wow! You look so hot!"

She laughed "I'm glad you like it. I hope I don't have to use the bathroom much, this thing is a pain to take off."

Ty smiled "I was going to wear my jeans and a shirt, but now I guess I'll have to find that grey suit."

Bay looked at him in wonder "Not the one you took to my parents' fundraiser, surely!"

Ty lifted his hands "The one and only. I hope it still fits, that was the last time I tried it on!"

"Where's the one from Toby's wedding?" Bay asked.

Ty shrugged his shoulders "Probably with its rightful owner. I borrowed it of another private."

Ty found the suit hanging in a clothes bag and it looked presentable. He quickly changed into it and winced slightly as he tried to close the button of his pants.

Bay laughed "Have you put on weight?"

Ty proudly ran his hands across his stomach. He didn't look offended in the slightest.

"No way, this is all pure muscle mass!"

Bay laughed and hugged him from behind "I don't think that jacket is going to close, Schwarzenegger! You can always wear it open. Maybe it's time to invest in a new suit!"

Ty placed his hands on top of hers "Not for a one off speech, darling."

Little did they know that the speech was going to change Bay's life.

Bay held on tightly to Ty's hand as they walked through the campus. The smell and the look of the dorms brought back memories for Bay that she rather not relive.

They found the main auditorium where the event was being held. To Bay's dismay it was rammed. She felt faint and Ty squeezed her hand reassuringly. After Bay found the organizers and introduced herself, they still had an hour to kill and they sat down to listen to the presenters.

After listening to the Police Department presentation for 45 minutes, Bay yawned. Didn't they realize that no one was listening to the data being recited in the most boring manner? Ty rolled her eyes at her. Bay slowly got-up and made her way to the front.

She heard the voice of the moderator.

"And now joining us from the Downtown Women's Shelter in Frederick, please welcome Ms. Bay Kennish."

Bay walked towards the rostrum and took one look at the room. It might have been full, but the attention span was not there. Was this a mandatory event for students? Bay looked at the papers in front of her and placed them on the floor. Enough with the numbers! She tapped the microphone.

"Good evening, I'm Bay. I'm 21 years old and I said no!"

By the time Bay finished her speech she had tears in her eyes and her voice was breaking-up. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"That was my story and I'm here today to tell it, so that it is never forgotten."

Bay looked at the room as if seeing it for the very first time. There was total silence. Then suddenly applause erupted. Bay got a standing ovation. She stood there for a moment in stunned silence, before smiling at the crowd of students and thanking them.

She walked off the stage and straight into Ty's arms. He held her close as the applause continued.

"You were amazing." He whispered with a choked-up voice.

Bay had tears in her eyes "They listened, Ty, they actually listened. And they liked me!"

Ty kissed her softly "How are you feeling?"

Bay smiled "I don't know. Like I'm on a cloud?"

It took another hour until Bay managed to make it out of the auditorium. As she walked to the car with Ty, she didn't know yet that her life had changed forever.

_**Kansas City, Kansas, the future**_

Aida hugged Bay and Ty and sat down in the living room. Once she had her coffee and was nibbling on some cookies she turned to Bay.

"So what's the big news, boss?" She winked and Bay smiled.

"We're having a baby." Bay said.

Aida nearly choked on her coffee.

"You're kidding me, right? Aren't you guys done with that?"

"So we thought" Ty said "Apparently there's more in store for us."

"Damn Bay! Congratulations…again! What about New York?"

Bay sighed "That's why we need to talk. I won't be able to open the New York office. Hopefully I can do the opening remarks, but you'll have to run it for a couple of weeks."

Aida frowned "I'll do it. What are we going to do about Baltimore?"

"I'm hoping we could hire someone temporarily to take care of the main office. Can you think of someone?"

Aida thought it over for a moment.

"I could probably tempt Linda out of retirement for a year."

Bay looked relieved "She would also be my first choice."

Alexis entered the lounge at that moment and smiled when she saw Aida.

"Aunt Aida, it's nice to see you. It's been so long!" She hugged her.

"My, my Alexis you're taller than ever. You never come to visit Maryland anymore. How was prom?"

Alexis beamed at her "I was prom queen and Ryan was prom king."

Aida nodded and saw Ty rolling his eyes "Of course you were!"

The door opened again and Andrea came in carrying a poster. She also said hello to Aida.

"Aunt Aida, remember we talked about the logo for the New York office? I wanted to show you this."

She held up the poster and Bay smiled when she saw the familiar "_I Said NO!"_ logo against a drawing of the New York skyline.

Aida got-up to examine it closer "I really like it Andrea. I'll propose some minor changes, but I think we can go with that one."

Andrea beamed proudly. Aida sat back down and took a folder out of her bag. Ty took the cue.

"Right guys, we're going bowling. Your mother has work to do. Where's Anita?"

Once they had left Bay sat closer to Aida to look at the financial statements. She smiled at the latest figures. Who would have thought that a 20 minute speech twenty years ago would result into her own Not-for-Profit organization? These days they had their Headquarters in Baltimore, with offices in KC, San Francisco, Boston and Miami. New York, their biggest achievement, was opening later that year.

After that day in Baltimore, the response to Bay's speech had been so positive, that she was soon speaking at various colleges throughout the region. One year later she had started the "I Said NO!" art campaign in which artists from all over the country painted and donated art works to raise awareness.

Soon that was all Bay was doing from their little apartment until she had secured enough funding to open an office. Linda had been with her from the beginning and a few years later Aida had decided to leave the Army and started working with them. Nowadays, although Bay was the President, it was Aida who ran the day-to-day operations.

Nonetheless, nothing would be possible without Bay, her connections to the art world and the speeches she held regularly across the country.

"It looks healthy to me." Bay said to Aida.

"Yes, this is one of our best years. The donations have been pouring in thanks to your hard work. We need to be careful though. New York will cost money."

Bay nodded "It had never made much sense business wise to open there because of the cost, but we always knew that we would have to do it eventually."

"Are you ok if I take Cass with me to groom her into running the New York operation? She's shown promise and she has family ties there."

Bay agreed. Cass had joined them ten years ago as a recent graduate in Psychology and she was Aida's protégée. She was ready to take on the challenge. Over the years they had groomed great talents between them and they had a solid set of employees running the various branches. Bay ran the KC operation, but spend quite a bit of time travelling to the different offices.

"Do we need to look at your salary, Bay? You haven't raised it in 15 years and now you have another mouth to feed. You earn as little as the receptionist."

Bay shook her head "I don't think so. I need to speak to Ty. I hate taking money from the organization. The car dealership is doing well. I don't think we'll need to supplement."

Aida shrugged "Suit yourself! What about Alexis and college?"

"She almost guaranteed a scholarship. Even if she doesn't we have money set aside for it. I'll let you know."

They spent the next few hours looking at the plans for New York and trying to find a way to reduce Bay's speaking commitments as much as possible.

Bay made a few adjustments, but wasn't willing to cut much for the time being. She cleared the following two weeks in order to do all the medical tests and promised Aida to look into the rest later once the results were in.

Ty came back at one point and joined them. He looked at the financial statement and whistled.

"Nice one ladies. You've had a good year."

Bay agreed "Until the Big Apple swallows it all."

"I've offered her a raise in salary Ty, she won't accept." Aida chimed in.

Ty laughed "I've been trying to convince my wife to take a raise every time we have a kid. She won't hear of it!"

Bay turned to him "Do I need to?"

Ty shook his head "No, we're good for now. Toby is in Germany, it will depend a bit on the deal he brokers with them. The exchange rate is killing us, but there's always demand for German cars."

"See? I told you." Bay said to Aida.

Aida raised her hands in defeat "At least you have a COO who doesn't have kids. That makes up for your kindergarten."

"What I do want from the COO is that she stops working my wife like a horse." Ty winked at Aida.

Aida shrugged "She's still the CEO. You'll have to sort that one out with her."

Bay turned to Ty "I've cleared the next two weeks for the amnio and other tests. Once we hear what the doctor says I'll make a decision."

Ty nodded "Sounds good for now."

By the time they'd had dinner and chatted a bit more, Aida excused herself to go back to her hotel. She wanted to catch the first flight out to Baltimore in the morning.

Bay looked tired and they decided to call it a night. Ty helped Bay out of her dress and she gratefully lay down on the bed. He joined her.

"You look tired. Are you ok?" He asked concerned.

Bay smiled "I'm fine. Actually this is turning out to be my easiest pregnancy so far. I didn't even have any noticeable symptoms. If I hadn't gone to the doctor I wouldn't even have thought I was pregnant."

"Your body is probably so used to it by now that it's business as usual." Ty said.

"You know what next weekend is, right?" Bay asked.

"No idea, what is it?" Ty said with a deadpan face.

Bay punched him playfully "Yeah, right!"

Ty kissed her "I've already spoken to Regina. She's spending the night here. For our 20th anniversary we need a getaway!"

Bay nodded. She fully agreed.

Ty closed his eyes and thought back to the day he had proposed.

_**Another chapter! Thank you so much for your reviews. I actually have a little window of time in which I can write this week, so I'm managing to update more frequently. This story is basically flowing with no particular path in mind so as always, if you want me to include anything, I will do my best to do so. One suggestion was to bring Emmett back at one stage, but he doesn't inspire me greatly and I'm not that good at writing his character, so I prefer to stay away from him. Please review!**_


	18. Proposal

_**Frederick, Maryland, the past**_

Ty lifted a pile of clothes on the floor trying to find his shirt. He was getting exasperated. There were clothes everywhere; he didn't even know which were clean and which were dirty.

He loved his girlfriend…most days…today was not one of those days.

He looked at his watch, Bay was supposed to be home one hour ago. They had an important dinner to go to and there was no sign of her. He tried her cell phone again. No answer. Ty threw his phone on the bed in frustration.

When Bay finally opened the door and entered the apartment with no care in the world, Ty was ready to explode. Bay looked at him in surprise when she saw the look on his face.

"Do you realize what time it is? We have to be downtown in half an hour and you've got damn paint all over you." Ty spat out.

Bay looked horrified.

"Is the dinner with your boss today?" She slapped her forehead "I completely forgot."

Ty grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bedroom.

"Like always! Look at this place Bay, it's a mess! Why can't you put your freakin' clothes away like a normal human being?"

Bay wrung her hand free from his tight grip.

"Jeez, Ty, calm down! I work, ok! Sometimes I don't have time for this kind of stuff. Don't go all military on me."

That didn't do anything to calm Ty down.

"You wouldn't survive a day in the military! Are you saying I don't work? You don't see my stuff all over the place. Go do something with your face for heaven's sake!"

Bay took one look at Ty's clothes hanging in metric precision on the hangers.

"Of all the things I imagined in my life, ending up with a person with OCD wasn't one of them." She huffed.

She made her way to the bathroom and tripped over one of her shoes. She winced.

"OCD? Are you fucking kidding me? There is a minimum, Bay! How did you deal with this back home?"

Bay shrugged her shoulders as she washed her face "Consuelo did it."

Ty took a deep breath trying to get his anger under control.

"Well there's no Consuelo here and Mendoza is not going to clean-up after you! Can you hurry, please?"

Bay so much wanted to scream at him, but she knew when she needed to back down. She felt terrible about having forgotten the dinner. It wasn't often that Ty asked her to go to these things and he always did his best to re-shuffle his schedule to attend her speaking engagements.

Bay applied her make-up and slipped into a dress in less than fifteen minutes. Ty had moved to the living-room where he was pacing up and down in rage. Bay decided to do something that didn't come easy to her. Apologize.

She picked-up her handbag and walked towards her boyfriend. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Hey, I'm sorry, ok. I'll put everything away tomorrow. And I won't forget about dinner again."

Ty just shook his head. He was still angry, but he knew that recognizing her faults and apologizing wasn't his feisty girlfriend's biggest strength.

"And will you also try to be on time in future?"

Bay looked relieved at seeing a ghost of a smile on Ty's face.

"I'll do my best."

Once they were in the car, Ty had somewhat calmed down. He took hold of Bay's hand.

"You know what's at stake here, right? Are you sure about this?"

Bay nodded "Yes, it makes sense and if that's what you want then I'll be behind you all the way."

They arrived at the restaurant with five minutes to spare and at the same time as Ty's supervisor and his wife.

Bay greeted Emma warmly. Over the past year they had gotten to know each other well. Emma was a big supporter of Bay's "_I Said No!_" campaign.

Once they were seated and had ordered their food, Sargent Smith raised his glass.

"Can I propose a toast to celebrate your promotion Staff Sargent Mendoza. I glad that you'll be extending your enlistment for another three years."

They all drank to that and Bay hoped that they'd made the right decision.

She kept her promise and the next day she cleaned up their bedroom and sorted through her papers in the living-room. It took her the whole morning. Finally the apartment looked presentable. Bay got changed quickly and put on some make-up. She was meeting an important donor for lunch. She rifled through her jewellery box trying to find her favourite ring. It was gone. Bay wondered if she'd lost it while cleaning, but decided to look for it later. She quickly picked-up her folder and walked out.

Ty hurried through the Main Street and quickly entered the jewellery shop. He only had one hour for lunch and it was the only time he could buy the engagement ring without Bay being suspicious. The sales woman smiled at him as he took Bay's favourite ring out of his pocked and laid it on the table.

"I need something similar to this. But nicer!"

Half an hour later he'd made his decision and promised to come by and collect it the following week.

_**Kansas City, Kansas, two weeks later**_

"It's good to be home." Bay smiled as John helped her with her suitcase.

"We miss you, Bay! We wish you'd come more often like you did before you started that company of yours."

John chastised her gently.

"I hardly see enough of her either." Ty chimed in.

"But we're so proud of you, honey!" Kathryn enveloped Bay in a hug.

"Well, I'm here now, and I expect a big birthday bash!" Bay tried to lighten the mood.

They walked upstairs and Bay opened the door to her bedroom, while Ty made his way down the hall. It didn't matter that they'd lived together for the past three years, in the Kennish household they slept in separate rooms. John was not ready to let them share a bed under his roof and Ty wasn't sure he would ever be.

He set his bag on the bed and made his way into the kitchen, where he found Daphne measuring ingredients for the cake.

"Hey" He signed and tapped her on the shoulder.

Daphne turned around and smiled broadly before hugging him.

"There you are, I saw Bay briefly but you weren't with her. Do you have it?"

Ty fished the small box out of his pocket.

"How will you make sure that she gets the slice with the ring in it?" He asked dubiously when he saw the batter.

"Oh Ty, don't be silly, I'm not putting the ring in the batter. Before I frost it, I'll insert it into the cake. I'll make sure that she gets the right slice. I'm so excited about this!"

Ty kissed her cheek "Well, make sure not to let it show. I just hope she says yes."

"Of course she will, silly. It's about time you two get hitched. Why did you wait so long?"

"Jeez Daph, it's not like we're 40. The past couple of years have been crazy. Bay with her projects, me working non-stop. Now that I extended it makes sense to take the next step. We'll live at the fort and we finally make enough to support ourselves without the help of John and Kathryn."

Daphne clapped her hands in excitement "I'm so happy for you."

"What about you?" Ty asked.

Daphne shrugged "Nothing much. Since Mingo and I broke-up I've been so busy with Med School that I don't have time to date. This year is killing me!"

"Yes, it might be killing her, but the excitement of having a future doctor in the family is too much for Adriana and me to handle."

Ty turned around at hearing Regina's voice. He quickly put a kitchen cloth over the box and hugged her to him.

"Regina, it's good to see you."

"Ty, you look great. I haven't seen you in ages. You get more and more handsome as you get older."

Regina patted his forearm and Ty laughed.

"It's all that work on those Humvees."

Bay joined them at that moment and Ty shot a warning glance at Daphne. She nodded.

"I love you all, but if you don't leave the kitchen, I won't be able to finish this cake in time."

Bay scooped the batter-up with her finger and licked it.

"Red Velvet. My favourite."

Daphne shushed her away.

"Go do something; I don't want to serve cake batter for dinner."

Bay looked around the table and smiled. She'd never much enjoyed family dinners in the past as she always had better things to do than sit around a table and talk about her day.

These days she missed them so much. Normally it was just her and Ty and that was when they were able to eat at the same time. Today she couldn't be happier. Kathryn had offered to host Bay's friends, but Bay had declined. She only wanted her family around her for her 22nd birthday.

She hadn't seen Toby in ages and immediately sat down next to him. His hair had thinned even more but for the rest he looked the same. These days he was the one heading the car wash as John got more and more involved in his political career.

"How's it going at the car wash, brother dearest? You seem happy." Bay asked.

Toby nodded "It's going well. I hated working there in the past and have Dad look over my shoulder the whole time. Now that he's hardly there it's easier. I made some small changes but for the rest it's pretty much the same. What about you?"

Bay smiled at him fondly "Business is doing well, I just got a few big donations which will pay for our offices."

"I really admire you, sis, working hard and not making any money. I'd never pegged you for the selfless one."

Bay shrugged "Sometimes certain things have such an impact that life changes."

Toby played with his fork and debated whether to tell her that Tank had stopped by the car wash. Toby had angrily chased him away, but he wasn't sure if he was still in the area. He decided against telling Bay. He wasn't sure Ty wouldn't chase him down. Better let the past stay in the past.

Finally it was time for the cake. John opened two bottles of champagne. In the past one had been enough but back then most of his family wasn't of drinking age. He poured the bubbly into the flutes and once everyone had one, Daphne entered with the cake and its 22 candles.

She put in in front of Bay and joined the others in singing happy birthday. Once Bay had blown out the candles, she picked –up the knife ready to slice it. Ty looked panicked. Daphne put her hand on Bay's arm.

"Why don't you let me deal with this? I'll do a better job."

Bay looked relieved "I'm sure."

Soon everyone had a piece of cake. Bay looked across the table towards Ty. He smiled at her weakly.

"Are you ok, Ty? You look a bit pale." Bay remarked.

Ty nodded "I'm fine."

John raised his glass and made the toast. Bay took a sip of champagne and picked-up her fork. The cake looked delicious. As she sunk her fork into it, she met some resistance.

Ty held his breath as he watched Bay's puzzled face. She dug deeper with the fork and found the ring. At first she just looked at it, then she looked shocked. By the time she smiled, Ty had picked up the ring and cleaned it on her napkin.

He dropped down on one knee and took Bay's hand.

"Bay, you've made me so happy for the past 3 years. I love you more than anything and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, oh yes!" Bay said with moist eyes.

She dropped down to her knees and wrapped her hands around Ty's face before kissing him. Everyone applauded. When the ruckus died down they were startled by the cork popping off the third champagne bottle.

"This calls for a third bottle." John smiled as he looked at them proudly.

It was late when Bay finally collapsed in her bed. She'd stayed up with Kathryn to discuss the details of the wedding and they had decided on a date in the spring. May had always been Bay's favourite and that was the month she picked to have her wedding. She wanted it to be just like Toby's, small and low-key and with their best friends. She made a promise that hers would last longer, though.

Bay felt giddy and excited. She'd not been expecting this. There was no way that she would spend the night away from Ty. Not on the day he had proposed. She waited for another 45 minutes before she tiptoed out of her room and down the hallway towards her parents' room. She felt like she was 15 years old as she quietly opened the door to the guest room and let herself in.

Ty was already sleeping with the covers bunched around his waist and Bay slowly joined him in the bed. He didn't even stir. Bay stroked his chest and kissed him softly on the mouth before dropping her hand into his boxers. Ty groaned in his sleep and opened his eyes in surprise. He quickly placed his hand on top of hers.

"Bay, what are you doing?" He said sleepily.

Bay straddled him and ground herself against him. She leaned down and ran her tongue along his ear.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She whispered in his ear.

Ty took a deep breath and lifted her off him.

"Darling, there is no way we're going to have sex next to your parents' bedroom. Not with the amount of noise you make."

Bay sulked "But we just got engaged. I want to celebrate."

Ty turned so he was facing her "We'll have the rest of our lives to celebrate." He grabbed her hand again just before it reached its target once more "Once we're back home in our own bed. I can't really! Just thinking about your father's head right behind this wall, I won't even be able to…."

Bay smiled at him and kissed him "I never thought my fiancée wouldn't be able to perform on the night he proposed."

Ty laughed "That's the way it is." He stroked her face "Was that a better proposal than the last one?"

"It was perfect. This was the best birthday ever. You make me so happy!"

Ty held her close "I was so scared you'd say no."

Bay ran a hand through his short hair "And I was so scared you'd never ask."

Ty squeezed her hand "Did you choose a date?"

Bay nodded "Memorial Day. Here with family and close friends only."

Ty smiled "Sounds perfect to me. I can't wait for you to be my wife."

Bay kissed him long and hard. Right now she couldn't recall a time in which she'd been happier. She ran her hands along his back.

"What if I promise to keep really, really quiet?" She whispered.

Ty laughed "That would be a first. No!"

"Can I stay at least?" Bay looked like puppy who'd just been admonished.

"Only if you promise me that you'll be back in your bed before John and Kathryn get up."

"Ok" Bay smiled to herself as she snuggled into his arms "Sweet dreams, fiancée."

Ty kissed her neck "Sweet dreams Bay Kennish, soon to be Mendoza."

_**Awwww, I love this chapter. I hope you do as well. I can't wait to hear what you think. I decided to keep it all in the past and do the next one in the future. There will be some darker times coming up and I'm sure you picked-up the hint. For now let's just enjoy the fluff. Please review.**_


	19. Heartbeat

_**Kansas City, Kansas, the future**_

Bay heard the toaster pop and quickly distributed the slices around the table. Breakfast had always been the most hectic meal in their family, especially when the girls were younger. Now that Alexis fixed her own and Andrea helped out it was a bit easier.

"What time is the appointment?" Andrea asked.

Bay stroked her belly "It's at three. I suggest that we meet here at 2:30 and then we all go together."

Anita clapped her hands "I'm so excited to see the baby."

Alexis just huffed and turned the TV on. She was about to flip through the channels when Andrea stopped her.

"Wait, let me just hear that quickly."

Alexis rolled her eyes and set the remote on the table "Here, suit yourself, you news freak."

Andrea just waved her hand at her dismissively "Mom, Dad, did you see this about Russia?"

Bay and Ty shook their heads "No, what happened?"

Andrea looked at them puzzled. "It's been all over the news for the past three days. How come you don't know about it? You're always listening to the news in your bedroom at night."

Ty quickly turned his back on his daughters so they wouldn't see his face. Bay blushed and looked into her coffee.

"We must have been talking or something and we missed that." Bay mumbled.

"Look, Dad's on TV again." Anita said matter-of-factly.

"_Saved by the bell_." Ty thought to himself.

They all looked at the commercial for the TBT dealership.

"That's so cheesy." Alexis remarked "Can't you get one of those advertising agencies to do a proper commercial for you?"

Ty laughed "Car dealership commercials are always cheesy, Alex. It's what sells cars."

"At least Dad and Uncle Toby look better than the fat, bald guy from Autoworld." Andrea said.

Alexis agreed "He's really creepy."

Bay stood-up "Right, off with you all to school. Andrea here's a note for you to be excused for the afternoon. Anita, we'll collect you at 2."

Alexis looked a bit put-out, but quickly masked her expression with indifference. She picked-up the car keys.

"Let's go then. You guys take so long to get ready that I'm almost always late to school after dropping you off."

Bay watched as her three daughters walked through the door and into Alexis' car. Ty put on his jacket and kissed her.

"See you later, I'll get Anita don't worry. What are you doing this morning?"

"I'm going to make some calls for work and look through the paperwork again."

Ty nodded "Try and find out what's going on in Russia while you're at it."

Bay shook her head "I've never been happier to see that "cheesy" commercial of yours."

She grabbed her coffee and walked into her office. She loved her family, but this was her favourite part of the day. She called it her "alone time". She picked-up the paperwork and worked steadily for a couple of hours.

A few hours later Ty dropped off Bay, Andrea and Alexis at the door of the doctor's office and drove off to find a parking space. As he walked down the street he decided to quickly get a coffee from the coffee shop. Work was so hectic when Toby wasn't there, that he hadn't had time for a break.

As he stood in line, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Bay's doctor. He quickly shook his hand.

"Doctor, it's good to see you. I guess you already know we're here for you."

The doctor nodded "How are you Ty? And please allow me to congratulate you."

"It certainly came as a surprise, that's for sure. Please, let me get that."

He paid for the coffees. The doctor gratefully accepted.

"I've been meaning to come and see you. I'm debating whether to get a new car. Mine is on the way out."

"Anytime! I'll be glad to assist. If you tell me that everything is ok with the baby, I'll get you the best deal. If you tell me it's a boy, I'll throw in free service for life."

The doctor laughed "I'm sure everything will be fine."

They walked out of the door and as they entered the elevator Ty put his hand on the doctor's arm.

"One more thing. Two of my daughters are here today; they wanted to see the baby. If there's anything wrong, can you please let Bay and me know in private? I don't want the girls to be worried."

"Of course. I would never discuss such a thing in front of them."

They stepped out of the elevator at the same time as Alexis stepped out of the one on the opposite side.

"Alex, what a pleasant surprise." Ty smiled at her.

Alexis looked slightly flustered "I was in the area, my friend lives across the street. I thought I come by to say hello."

Ty nodded knowingly "Well, I'm happy you did and so will your mother. Are you staying for the ultrasound since you came all the way up here?"

Alex shrugged "I guess."

The ultrasound technician looked slightly overwhelmed at having five people crowded around the stretcher in the small room. Bay lay down and lifted her shirt. The technician spread the clear gel over her belly. At that moment the door opened and the doctor came in.

"Thanks Larry, I'll do this one myself."

Larry looked surprised, but quickly left the room. The doctor ran the machine across Bay's belly. They all looked at the grainy black and white screen.

"Let me see, ah yes, there it is." The doctor drew a yellow circle around the baby.

Anita looked disappointed "It looks nothing like a baby."

Ty laughed and ruffled her hair "It's because it's still tiny. It will turn into a proper baby soon."

The doctor pointed at the screen "You can see the head there, Anita, and its arms and legs. Do you want to hear the heartbeat?"

Anita nodded. Soon the room was filled with the sound of the baby's fluttering heartbeat. Ty took a deep breath and squeezed Bay's hand. No matter how many of these he'd been to, it was always a magical moment.

He looked around the room. Anita was smiling, Andrea looked mesmerized and even Alexis's eyes were open in wonder.

The doctor took measurements for the next couple of minutes. Finally he turned the machine off and turned to the girls.

"It all looks fine. You should be able to welcome your little brother in six months."

Bay's eyes moistened "It's a boy?"

The doctor nodded "One hundred percent sure."

Ty laughed and hugged Alexis and Andrea to him "Finally I'll have another male in the house to help me in the midst of all you women."

"Congratulations again to the whole family. Can you girls wait outside for a minute while I talk to your parents?"

The girls left and Ty sat down next to Bay. The doctor turned to them.

"It all looks good. We'll remain in regular contact. I want you to do a head scan, just to rule out any possible aneurysm."

Bay nodded. She was used to those "What about the amnio?"

The doctor shook his head "I rather not do it. It's a bit too late; normally we would do it before 16 weeks. At this time the risk is too high. I've got your blood tests back and there's nothing pointing to a problem. We can never be totally certain, even with an amniocentesis."

Bay looked relieved "I was so nervous when I had to do it with Anita."

The doctor patted her hand "For now it's business as usual. Try to avoid stress and get a lot of rest. I'll prescribe some vitamins. You can have a normal sex life unless it becomes uncomfortable. The baby should be due sometime in September."

They bid their good-byes and joined the girls in the waiting room. Alexis looked at her watch and tried to look bored, but she didn't make any move to leave.

"That was really cool, Mum." Andrea said.

Bay took her hand "It always is. I can still remember looking at the three of you for the first time and hearing your heartbeats."

"What are we calling him?" Andrea asked.

Bay looked at Ty and smiled. There was only one name that immediately sprung to their minds.

"Angelo" They said at the same time.

"Alexis, Andrea, Anita and Angelo. I like it" Anita said with a serious face and everybody laughed.

"I need to get back to the dealership. It's crazy there today." Ty bid his good-byes.

Alexis offered to drive her mother and sisters home. Once there, Bay lay down on the couch and closed her eyes for a minute.

"Mum, do you want me to help Anita with her homework? You look like you could use a rest." Andrea asked.

Bay smiled at her gratefully "That would be great sweetheart."

Bay loved all he daughters, but she had a special connection to Andrea. She didn't know if it was the art, or because she was so similar to Ty, or because she looked so much like Bay. She always seemed to know what was on Bay's mind and tried to help as much as possible. Bay hoped that upcoming teenage years wouldn't change their bond.

Alexis came in carrying two mugs with tea. She offered one to Bay.

"Can I sit down for a minute?" She asked tentatively.

"Of course you can, I feel like I hardly see you these days." Bay pulled her down next to her.

"I…I…wanted to apologize about what I said about college and the baby. And I'm sorry that I said that I didn't want to come to the ultrasound. Hearing his heartbeat today was great."

"Oh Alex, I'm so happy to hear you say that. It was a shock for all of us."

Alexis looked relieved "And I might go to college somewhere else, but I want you and Dad to know that it's not because of the baby."

Bay felt a tug at her heart every time she thought about Alexis moving away.

"We're so proud of you Alex, I know that you'll get that scholarship and that you'll love college."

"I think so too Mum, and I want to help with "_I Said No!_" when I get there."

Bay beamed at her "I'm sure you'll be our best Ambassador."

Alex got-up "I gotta go and see Ryan now, I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Have fun and thank you."

Alex made her way towards the door. She stood there for a minute debating in her head, then she walked back towards Bay. She wrung her hands.

"Mum, remember how we talked about the being safe stuff?"

Bay looked at her alarmed "Alex, you're not…you haven't…"

"No, no, no!" Alexis interrupted her immediately "Actually I was going to ask you if I can go on the pill."

Bay felt both shock and relief "Yes, we'll deal with it first thing on Monday."

Alexis blushed and smiled "Thanks Mum. One more thing. Can you please not tell Dad?"

Bay mulled it over "Yes, let's keep this between us for now."

Alexis grabbed Bay's hand "Thank you, Mum. I need to go now."

Bay managed a weak smile "Be safe!"

Alexis laughed "In every possible way. See you at dinner."

Bay placed a hand on her forehead. She felt slightly faint. It wasn't that she hadn't suspected that her daughter was sexually active, but to have it laid out in front of her was a different matter. In a way she was glad that Alexis had come to her. She was also glad that Ty had asked Regina to stay the night tomorrow. The last thing they needed was for Ryan to be smuggled into the house.

Ty called to say he was going to be late and Bay decided to order some pizzas. It had always been the food she craved most while pregnant. She called her doctor to make an appointment for Alex.

After everyone had eaten Bay put Anita to bed and told her older daughters that she was retiring for the night. She lay in bed and turned on the TV. Time to learn about this Russia business.

Ty came home shortly after 10 and felt drained. He'd had a long day, but had managed to sell three high-end cars, which made up for it. He grabbed a slice of cold pizza and a beer and went upstairs. He opened the door to their bedroom and looked slightly alarmed at seeing Bay watching the news.

"There is now way, I'm beat!" He raised his hands.

Bay looked at him confused, then she laughed.

"Don't be silly, I'm learning about Russia."

Ty sat on the bed and munched on his pizza.

"I can't wait for your brother to get back. I did sell enough cars to pay for our anniversary celebration, though."

Bay turned off the TV.

"Where are we going?"

"To a nice little B&amp;B close to Independence. It's about 2 hours from here. I had originally planned on us doing a tour of the wineries, but now you can't."

"Sounds lovely." Bay said absentmindedly.

Ty squinted his eyes as he looked at her "What's wrong?"

Bay feigned surprise "Nothing, why should anything be wrong."

"Bay, we're celebrating our 20th anniversary. I can read you like a book. You're worried, what's wrong?"

Bay debated on whether to tell him or not. Honesty had always played a big role in their relationship, ever since that "fake cheating" incident over 20 years ago. Yet, it wasn't like she was lying to him, was it? She looked at Ty's face and knew that he wouldn't let it go.

"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise me not to freak out or do something stupid."

Ty just looked at her.

"And it's nothing bad, just that I know that you'll have a hard time dealing with this. I vowed secrecy so it's really important that you keep your end of the bargain, and…"

"Bay, you're babbling and you're making me nervous. What is it?"

"Alex wants to go on the pill. I'm taking her to the doctor on Monday."

Ty let himself fall back on the pillow and covered his eyes "Fuck! I'm so grounding her!"

Bay leaned on her elbow and grabbed his hand "No you're not! Do you hear me? You'll not mention the matter outside this room."

Ty looked at her angrily "She's just a child!"

"She's just a child in your mind, Ty!" Bay sounded exasperated "She's 17! It's not like this is a surprise. I was 15 when we went to your house after the fundraiser."

"And we didn't sleep together, need I remind you?" Ty huffed.

"Not because of my age if I recall correctly!" Bay retorted.

"Did you know about this? Before she spoke to you?"

"No, I didn't! Although I suspected it. I'm not stupid!"

"Jesus Bay, I'm not sure I'm ready for this." Ty sounded shocked.

"And you think I am? Or that this is easy for me? We'll never be ready, not for Alex, Andrea, or Anita. It doesn't mean it's not going to happen anyway."

Bay took a deep breath.

"Ty, promise me that you won't do anything stupid! You won't be able to avoid it, whatever you do. Let her go on the pill, at least she's safe. Unless you want to become a father and a grandfather at the same time."

Ty grabbed her hand forcefully.

"Christ Bay, don't say that! Don't ever say that."

"Then you'll need to get yourself under control and be ready to accept it." Bay said firmly.

Ty closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to get his emotions under control.

"I won't let them stay here together. If I have to know I'll rather not know."

Bay smiled "That makes no sense whatsoever. But ok, I know what you mean. I agree, it wouldn't set the right example for our other daughters."

"I promise I won't say anything Bay. I don't even really how to look her in the face after this."

Bay stroked his chest "That's not the way to deal with it. She loves you, you're her hero. Don't let this taint your relationship with her."

Bay turned his face so she could look at him.

"She actually trusted me enough to come to me with this. It made me happy and sad at the same time. You know better than anyone that my relationship with her wasn't always the best."

Ty's face clouded over briefly "That was a long time ago, Bay. I don't want to relive that now. Not before our anniversary."

Bay nodded. She couldn't agree more.

"I feel better now that you know. I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret; I was never good at that."

Ty felt himself calming down "I'll let you deal with it in whatever way you thing is best."

Bay smiled and placed his hand on her belly "Maybe you'll be able to take the lead with this one when the time comes."

Ty kissed her "I'm so much looking forward to little Angelo. It's like a miracle."

"Me too. I was so shocked and now I can't wait to meet him. I'm going back on the pill straight after, though!"

Ty ran his hands across her breasts.

"I think it's time we got some rest. I have big plans for tomorrow night." He whispered in her ear.

Bay felt a shiver down her spine.

"I'm looking forward to it."

_**Thank you for your lovely reviews. You're my inspiration to continue writing and I look forward to them every time I post a chapter. I understand from many of you that you want a Bay/Ty/Tank confrontation. I wasn't gonna go there, but I'll try to work it into a future past chapter (does that even make sense?). The next chapter will explore the wedding and Bay's first pregnancy. Do you want the anniversary night as well?**_

.


	20. Marriage

_**San Francisco, California, the past**_

"_Did you see that fish? It's Nemo!"_

_Ty excitedly pointed his hand downwards and Bay took a dive. She couldn't spot it and came back up for air. She removed the snorkel and the goggles, swam up to Ty and put her arms around his neck. He lifted her out of the water and kissed her. Bay looked at the crystal clear water of the Bahamas._

"_This is the most perfect honeymoon after the most perfect wedding. I love you so much!"_

_Ty ran his hand under her bikini and stroked her bottom._

"_I love you too! Are we going back to our room so I can show you exactly how much?"_

_Bay gasped as she felt his hand stroking that one special spot. _

_She groaned and pulled herself closer to him.. _

"Hey, what are you doing? You're choking me!" Bay heard an outraged voice in the distance.

Bay was startled and opened her eyes. She looked at the red hair across her arm. She quickly removed it.

"Sorry, Daph, I was dreaming?" She said apologetically.

"Some dream. What was it about?" Daphne grinned back at her.

"Our honeymoon." Bay smiled wistfully.

Daphne lifted her hands in defence "Well, you'll have to wait until tonight to re-enact that dream of yours. We might sleep in the same bed, but there are boundaries."

Bay laughed loudly "You are so silly!" She batted her eyes at her and winked seductively "But sexy!"

Daphne slapped her hand playfully "You're the only one to tell me that these days. My sex live is seriously suffering because of you, you know? At least you still get some action on weekends, I get NADA!"

Bay turned serious and squeezed her sister's hand "I know Daph, I'm so sorry and so grateful. If it weren't for you I'm not sure I wouldn't be divorced by now."

"Oh Bay! I'm happy that it worked out in the end. You would have broken Toby's record. Don't worry about my non-existent sex life. I don't have time for it anyways."

Bay got out of bed and stretched. She looked around the tiny college dorm where she shared Daphne's bed Mondays to Thursdays.

"I need to get ready. I have an appointment downtown at 9:30."

"Will I still see you today?" Daphne asked.

Bay shook her head "No, I'm driving over to the Fort after lunch. I'll be back Monday morning."

Daphne nodded as she put on her Stanford University t-shirt. She looked out of the window.

"If you had asked me four years ago, I'd never would have thought we'd end up in California living together."

Bay nodded "Neither would I. It's funny the turns life takes."

A few hours later Bay got into her car feeling elated. She'd finally found the perfect office space. She'd been close to giving up after seeing numerous places and realizing that she would never be able afford San Francisco's rent prices. Today she'd finally found a tiny office space in the middle of San Francisco's art district.

This had been the perfect place to open up her second office. The art community was tremendous and Stanford University had been at the forefront of awareness rising. San Francisco was the perfect place for _"I Said No!"_

She quickly texted Ty before starting the car.

"On way see u soon"

Ty sent back a smiley face. Bay put on her sunglasses and got ready for the three hour trip back home. Life was good now. It hadn't been good six months ago. Bay thought again about their perfect honeymoon and their return to Maryland as a married couple. They'd stayed at their apartment for another month, before preparing to move to the Fort. One week before they were due to move, Ty had come home looking worried.

"Bay, they're posting me to California." He handed her the letter.

"What?" Bay looked alarmed.

"It's at a training facility; they want me to train the new recruits."

"But…but…but like now?" Bay had said incredulously.

Ty had nodded "We leave in two weeks."

In those two weeks she had tried to wrap up all the pending issues in Baltimore. Four years in the city had been a long time for a posting, yet it had almost never crossed Bay's mind that she would have to leave the lifestyle she so had grown so accustomed to. She had decided to make the best of it. She was newlywed and in love and nothing could go wrong. Plus, California had sounded so cool!

Bay had visualized walking down Beverly Hills, or shopping at a quaint farmer's market, or taking the tram through the hills of San Francisco. Nothing could have prepared her for the California desert and the training facility which was located 200 miles away from civilization.

While Bay had jokingly used the term Army wife in the past, her professional life had always been separate from Ty's. Besides the odd dinner with his colleagues and attending parties at the Fort in Frederick, Bay didn't really have anything to do with the military.

It had taken Bay exactly two months to figure out that she hated being an Army wife.

\- " -

Bay had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she nearly missed the one and only turn on the endless road to the Fort. She waved at the guard and slowly navigated her car through the streets until she reached the parking lot.

She walked towards their unit and let herself in. Ty was in the kitchen preparing dinner and once he heard the door he wiped his hands and walked out to hug his wife. He took in her scent.

"Hi gorgeous. I missed you!

Bay ran her hands through his hair. "I missed you too. So much I almost seduced Daphne this morning."

"Huh?" Ty raised his eyebrows.

"Almost! Not quite! I had a dream about our honeymoon."

Ty smiled knowingly and ran his hands over her bottom before lifting her.

"Which part?" He asked as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Bay slowly sunk her teeth into his neck "The one after the snorkelling."

Ty had Bay pinned against the wall in the kitchen and he ran his hand under her skirt.

"Hmmmm, Let me see…was it when I did this?"

Bay moaned loudly "Can dinner wait?" But Ty had already carried her to the bedroom.

After they'd made love Bay dozed off for half an hour and Ty rested his head on the pillow. He was going to give himself ten more minutes before going back into the kitchen. He thought about their little welcome celebration and how things had been very different six months ago when he got home in the evenings.

Once he had found Bay in tears sorting out napkins by colours.

"Ty, I can't do this anymore. If they drag me into organizing another tea party, I'll scream."

He had sat down next to her and sighed "I'm so sorry Bay; I know you hate it here."

"I love you Ty. More than anything. I try, but I'm just so unhappy. There's nothing to do but sit in those organizing committees. I hate them, I hate those parties and I have no friends."

"I don't know what to say, Bay. This is the Army life, I can't even promise you that we'll leave soon. We might be stuck here for two years."

He'd never been one to sugar coat the truth. It had only gotten worse from there on and after one month he'd been so heartbroken by her misery that he'd told her to go home for two weeks to recharge her batteries. Two weeks turned into six and Ty had thought he'd lost her for good, but Bay came back. He'd been so happy to hold her in his arms again that he would have promised her the moon at that point.

"Daphne got accepted into Stanford." Bay had told him that day.

"Good for her. It will be nice to have her close by." He had been so relieved to see Bay looking like her old self.

"Ty, I can't stay here. I'll go crazy. Yet, I can't be without you either. I'll go even crazier. I don't know what to do."

Over time they had found a solution that worked for both of them. Bay would leave Monday mornings and spend the weekdays with Daphne in San Francisco, before returning to the Fort on Thursday evenings. Bay soon got busy with her work again and when the travelling got to her, she'd spend a week or two with him and worked from home. She'd finally been happy again and he'd known then that he would leave the Army after the additional three years he'd committed to. They'd been lucky in Maryland and in KC, most of the Forts were in remote locations and he wasn't going to risk his marriage over it.

Bay opened her eyes and ran her hand over Ty's chest.

"What are you thinking about?" She said sleepily.

Ty stroked her arm "That I don't know how to repay Daphne for saving our marriage."

Bay nodded knowingly "I'm so happy she's here."

\- " -

Nine months later Bay was having a meeting with her team of two. Daphne had been crucial to the San Francisco operation and with her connections in the medical world, had not only managed to get Bay speaking engagements, but had also found two recent graduates to help Bay with the day-to-day operations. They were just going over the most recent figures, when Bay's phone rang. It was Ty. Bay accepted the call.

"What's up, I'm in a meeting." She said absentmindedly.

"I need you to come home today." Ty sounded serious.

Bay was alarmed "What happened? Is it an emergency?"

"I don't want to discuss it over the phone. It's not an emergency and nothing bad as such. I just need you to come. Can you be here later?"

"I'll leave after lunch."

Bay wrapped up the meeting and got into her car. Three hours later she got home.

"What is it you need to tell me?" She asked worriedly once Ty was home. She felt faint when she saw the familiar envelope on the table. "Where to now?" She asked wearily.

Ty came in carrying a bottle of champagne "Dorothy, you're going back to Kansas!"

Bay didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had missed home so much over the past year and a half.

"Oh Ty! I'm so happy to leave and so sad to go."

Ty hugged her "I know. I felt the same when I saw it. Will San Francisco survive without you?"

"It will, yes. Sally and Andrew are great. They will continue the legacy."

Ty nodded "Good. Because we leave in two weeks."

Bay took his hand "Ty, I don't want to live at the Fort."

"I know sweetheart, I've already given the family at my house a heads up. They'll leave in two months."

"The Kennish guest house will have to do until then."

Ty poured the champagne "Nine more months Bay, then I'll be done. After that no more moving around. We'll pick our place and stay there."

Bay raised the glass to her lips thoughtfully. Maybe it was time. She turned to Ty.

"Talking about nine months…Ty, I think I'm ready. Now that we're going home."

Ty looked momentarily puzzled, then a smile lit up his face. He took her face in his hands and kissed her mouth repeatedly.

"Bay…I can't think of nothing I'd like more than to start a family with you. Are you sure?"

Bay stroked his face "I'm sure. I can't wait to have a little Mendoza."

She took his hand and pulled him into the bathroom. Ty looked on as she took out her pill and slowly squeezed the little tablets one by one into the toilet bowl.

She lifted her glass "To a new chapter in our lives."

Ty laughed as they both flushed the toilet.

\- " -

John and Kathryn could not have been happier at having Bay back in KC. Kathryn threw a welcome home dinner for them the day they arrived.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at the house, Bay?" Kathryn asked "We're hardly ever here with your father's campaign to run for Governor."

Bay shook her head "The guest house if perfect for now. It will only be for six weeks, then we move into Ty's old place."

Kathryn shook her head "Why do you want to live in East Riverside when you can live in Mission Hills?"

Bay shrugged "Because it's where we belong. I'm happy there."

Kathryn sighed "Suit yourself. I can't believe we have this big house and neither Toby nor you want to stay here."

"I'll come and visit all the time. Especially to use the pool."

Kathryn hugged her "I'm so happy you're here Bay, I know that the past year was hard for you."

Bay rested her head on Kathryn's shoulder "I can't wait for Ty to leave the Army."

For the next two months Bay took a breather. After an initial two week trip Baltimore to check on the office, Bay reopened her "art-studio" in John's garage and painted. It was something she'd missed dearly in the past years. She kept in touch with the San Francisco and Baltimore offices by Skype once a day.

Toby had already offered Ty a job at the car-wash once he left the Army and that would tide them over for a bit. Bay knew that Ty wasn't particularly excited about starting over once again, but staying on was not an option.

Every day Bay would drop by Regina's coffee shop for breakfast. She loved those moments with her other mother. Bay had spent such a long time away from home that now she had a lot of catching-up to do. Ty always joined her when he was on the late shift.

Today Bay had brought one of her paintings as a gift for the coffee shop. Regina carefully unwrapped it.

"Bay, it's beautiful. I'll find a great place for it. Thank you!"

"I'm happy you like it. I think the colours are a good match."

Regina left to get the coffees and the toast and returned soon to join them. She so enjoyed spending this hour with Bay.

"It's so good to have you here Bay. Especially since Daphne left. It's been lonely."

Bay nodded "I know about feeling lonely. I love to be back home with you all."

She gratefully squeezed Ty's hand under the table.

Bay took a piece of toast and felt the bile rising in her stomach. She quickly got-up.

"I feel sick." She ran to the bathroom where she threw up.

When she returned to the table, she saw Regina looking worried and Ty cocking his head. He was smiling. Bay was ready to give him a piece of her mind, when she slapped her forehead. She quickly hugged Regina.

"We need to go home."

Regina looked puzzled "What's going on Bay, are you ok? Do you need help?"

Bay winked at her "I'll know very soon."

Regina shook her head as they hurried out of the door. Then it hit her and she smiled.

Ty knocked on the door impatiently.

"Bay, why can't I come in? How long are you going to be? It's not like there's anything there I haven't seen before."

Bay opened the door a crack "Five minutes. And I don't need you in here looking at a pee-covered stick. Thank you very much."

Ty paced up and down until the door finally opened. Bay was smiling as she held the pregnancy test in one hand.

"Positive!"

It was hard to describe the emotions Ty felt at that word. He simultaneously felt hot and cold and just excited all around. He hugged Bay and twirled her around.

"I love you Bay Mendoza!" He said with moist eyes.

"Can you change your shift if I get us a doctor's appointment?"

Ty nodded. He was so choked-up that he couldn't find the words.

Two hours later they sat in Bay's doctor's office waiting for the result of the blood test. Finally they were called in. The doctor smiled at them.

"I can confirm that you're pregnant. Congratulations!"

Bay smiled at Ty. They had done it. She had their baby growing inside her.

"Let's do a quick ultrasound."

This time both Bay and Ty had tears in their eyes as they heard the rapid heartbeat for the first time. The doctor confirmed that everything was fine and that he would see them in one month when hopefully he would be able to tell them if it was a boy or a girl.

Bay called Kathryn and asked her to get the whole family together for dinner. They couldn't wait to make the announcement.

Unfortunately they never made it to dinner as Bay was so violently sick for the rest of the afternoon that Ty decided to drive her to hospital. After a quick examination, Bay had an IV stuck up her arm before she was admitted for the night.

Ty never budged from her bedside and it pained him physically to see his wife so sick. Every time she thought she felt better another wave of nausea came over her.

Little by little Bay's family had gathered in the waiting room. Once Bay felt like she could handle it, she asked Ty to call them in.

Kathryn and John looked at her worriedly as did Regina.

Kathryn took her hand "Bay, honey, what's wrong? Is it food poisoning? I never saw you like this."

"You look as white as a ghost" John interjected.

Bay managed a weak smile. She looked at Ty and he nodded at her encouragingly.

"It's not food poisoning. We're having a baby. We just found out today."

"Oh my God!" Kathryn covered her mouth with her hand "I'm so happy for you!"

John and Regina were smiling.

"We're going to be grandparents." Regina took John's hand in hers and he squeezed it.

He walked over to Ty and hugged him.

"Congratulations son."

Ty just smiled and nodded before hugging Regina and Kathryn. Then he turned serious again as he saw Bay reaching for the bucket again.

_**First of all let me say how much my day brightened when I saw the story posted by EyesonFire. It is called "Take a Chance" and I hope that all you Bay/Ty fans will read it and review it. She is such an amazing author and her stories have always been a source of inspiration to me. I'm constantly stealing some of her stuff. **_

_**This chapter covers a lot. I decided against writing about the wedding as I've already written two of them in the past and I can't find more inspiration for it. I will give you the anniversary celebration in return. I hope you like this chapter and that I will tide you over the weekend. Please review!**_


	21. Anniversary

_**Independence, Missouri, the future**_

Bay gasped when she saw the beautifully appointed suite at the charming B&amp;B that Ty had chosen. She set her small bag on the bed.

"Ty, this is amazing. How did you find it?"

Ty cradled her face and kissed her tenderly "A colleague recommended it. It's not every day we get to celebrate 20 years of marriage."

Bay took her phone out of her handbag "Let me just call Regina quickly and give her the number for the room."

Ty nodded "Toby got back yesterday night. I've told everyone not to call me."

He turned his phone off and so did Bay as soon as she had spoken to Regina. It was their rule that on the rare occasions when they had time to themselves their phones would remain off. Ty took Bay's hand.

"Should be go out for a stroll?"

Bay nodded "Where are we going?"

"I had to cancel our planned tour of the wineries, but there's another place I want us to check out."

They made their way back to the car and Ty drove for half an hour Blue Spring Lake. Bay smiled broadly when she exited the car.

"A boat trip! How fitting!" She clapped her hands.

Although it was the official opening day, the overcast sky made for little crowds and soon Ty had expertly rowed them away from any people. He enjoyed seeing Bay's relaxed face as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace and quiet, something that was so scarce these days.

"This brings back happy memories." She said after a little while.

Ty nodded "If you'd accepted my proposal back then, we would be celebrating 24 years."

Bay laughed "I liked your second attempt so much more!"

She squealed as Ty rummaged in his pocket making the boat rock. He handed her a small velvet box.

"I got you this last week when you told me about the pregnancy. It's not complete yet, but I wanted you to have it."

Bay's eyes opened in wonder when she opened the box and saw a simple ring made out of a gold, a silver and 4 bronze intertwined bands. He eyes moistened when she saw their names inscribed on each of the bands.

"Ty, it's beautiful. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen."

Ty smiled as he gently slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly.

"I'll have to take it back on Monday to have little Angelo's name inscribed. I didn't have time to do it before we found out" He kissed the palm of her hand "To another 20 years."

Bay smiled as she squeezed his hand tightly "To another 20 years."

Once they got back to the city, they had dinner at a romantic little restaurant. Bay carefully placed the cloth napkin across her legs.

"This certainly makes a change from our usual restaurant selections."

Ty scoffed "If by restaurant selections you mean Sal's, the only place we ever end up in, then yes, it certainly makes a change."

"Awww, but we love Sal's! Those garlic knots are to die for!"

Ty let his hand drop under the table and ran his fingertips over Bay's knee.

"Let's go easy on the garlic today." He squeezed her leg and Bay felt goose bumps on her arms.

"And there was me thinking I was done with tomato stains all over the place, now that Anita is eating properly. Soon we'll be dealing with all that mess again."

Ty nodded in agreement "Yes, it feels like we hardly know another way."

In the absence of champagne, they toasted their anniversary with sparkling apple cider. Ty made a face as he took a sip and Bay laughed.

"You know that you can order a drink, right?" She commiserated with him.

"No, it wouldn't be fair. Let's be pregnant together."

By the time they'd enjoyed a proper three course meal it was dark outside and Bay yawned.

"I want to head back now." She said to Ty.

They drove the short distance to the B&amp;B and Bay let herself drop on the bed once they were back in their room. Ty lay down next to her and kissed her long and hard. He ran his hand up Bay's leg and under her dress. Bay moaned in response.

"This is so much better without Anderson Cooper." Bay whispered in Ty's ear.

Ty laughed quietly as he squeezed her bottom "Tonight I want to make you scream."

He lay on top of her and kissed her mouth before making his way down her neck and towards her cleavage. Bay sighted in pleasure as she pulled his shirt free from his pants and started undoing the buttons. He lifted himself and removed it before kissing her again. Bay wrapped her legs around him and ran her hands along his naked torso.

After a while Ty raised himself again "Time to get you out of that dress."

Bay turned around and lay on her stomach letting Ty lower the zipper of her dress. She heard him gasp.

"Where did you get that sexy thing?" He ran his hands down the length of her lacy black bodice.

Bay laughed "It's not just you who buys things for our anniversary, you know? I got it a while back and it looked perfect. Now I'm pregnant and it just looks kinky."

She turned around and Ty took a deep breath.

"There's absolutely nothing kinky about that, my darling wife! You look sexy as hell."

Bay winked at him "I bet not as sexy as when you had me wear my DOC vest and nothing else."

Ty groaned in response as he remembered "That was hot! We might have to get you to do community service again."

Bay slapped his chest "Never again!"

Ty ran his hands across her breasts "These are definitely bigger now. I love you when you're pregnant."

Bay just laughed as she wiggled out of the constricting lingerie. She shivered when she felt Ty kiss his way down her body. After so long he knew exactly which buttons to push to have her come undone and soon Bay was breathless.

"The guests next door must have enjoyed that! You look gorgeous! " Ty said as he looked down at her flushed face a few minutes later.

She recovered quickly and straddled him. She opened his belt and the button of his pants, before pushing them down together with his boxers.

She winked at him seductively "Payback time!"

That was the last thing Ty heard before her head disappeared. He twisted his hand in her hair and closed his eyes.

They took their time pleasuring one another. It wasn't often that they got the opportunity to let themselves go completely without having to be conscious of their three daughters sleeping in close proximity. Whenever they managed to get away they did the most out of it.

Bay stretched her body feeling slightly out of breath. Ty hovered over her and she stroked his face.

"That was amazing." She whispered.

Ty smiled down at her "It always is. You're the sexiest woman on the planet, Bay Mendoza."

He moved off her and lay on his stomach. He draped an arm across her belly.

"I love those pregnancy hormones of yours."

Bay laughed as she ran her hand across his back, fingering the slight indentations that were hardly noticeable these days. She knew the location of each of those tiny scars by heart. Once in a while she liked to touch them to remind herself of how lucky they were. Ty turned serious.

"Don't think about that now, sweetheart. It's in the past."

Bay circled them again "Sometimes when I'm really happy, I need to. Just to remind myself that it could all change in an instant."

Ty just sighted and closed his eyes.

_**\- " - **_

_**Kansas City, the past**_

"Are you sure that John and Kathryn will appreciate that mural in their guesthouse?"

Ty looked critically at the outline of a fairy tale castle that Bay was sketching on the white wall.

"They will love it Ty, after all you can always paint it over again one day. For now I want the perfect nursery for our perfect little girl."

Ty smiled as he hugged Bay's belly from behind "I can't wait to see our little Alexis."

They had decided to name the baby Angelo if it was a boy. When they learned they were expecting a girl, Bay wanted to find a name that started with the letter A. Ty had suggested Angela, but Bay had quickly said no in case they had a boy one day. While looking through a book of names they had come across Alexis, which meant to "help and defend" and Bay had liked it. That's what they called their future daughter from that moment on.

Bay had been in and out of hospital with nausea well into the first trimester of her pregnancy. After she had been in the hospital for the third time, Ty had decided to move them back into the guest house. He would get sick with worry while he was at work, thinking of Bay being all by herself.

At five months pregnant Bay was finally feeling like her old self again. If it wasn't for the added weight, she would hardly have known she was expecting a child.

"Do you want to put your feet up for a bit?" Ty asked.

Bay shook her head "No, I'm fine. I just want to finish the outline now."

Ty shrugged "Ok, I'll start putting the crib together then. That will get rid of an additional box."

It was a hot weekend in July and Bay was grateful that they could stay indoors. They worked in silence and just as Ty was fitting the mattress onto the crib, his cell phone rang. He looked at the number and frowned.

"Sergeant Mendoza" It sounded official and Bay turned to face him.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?" Ty's face had lost its entire colour. Bay dropped her art supplies on the floor.

"Understood, Sir." Ty ended the call. His face had a look of defeat "They're shipping me out in three days."

Bay's lips shook as she looked at him "No, Ty, no, no, no…they can't…" Her voice was gone.

Ty hugged her to him and held her tightly. He didn't know what to say he was so shocked.

Bay was crying openly now "You…only…have…3…months…to…go…" She hiccuped.

Ty didn't want to remind her that he had to stay in the reserve for two years after that. He grabbed Bay's shoulders.

"Listen Bay, you need to be strong now. Do it for our baby."

Bay just shook her head wildly "I can't, I can't do this again. Where are they sending you?"

"North Africa. They didn't say where. I suspect I'll only find out when I get there."

Bay was already on the phone "Dad, can you come over?"

Ty bit his lip. At this point he was willing to do whatever it took to stay. John was at the door five minutes later followed by Kathryn. They both looked worried.

"What happened?" John was shocked when he saw Bay's face.

"They're sending Ty away; he needs to leave in three days. Dad, you need to do something."

John sat down and put his face in his hands. Kathryn sat next to Bay and put her arm around her. They both looked at John.

John shook his head "Bay, I'm likely to be the Governor in three months. Right now there's nothing I can do."

Ty nodded. He had figured as much. "John, please don't worry. I have to go. It would be great if you could get me home for the birth."

Bay rose her head "What if you refuse to go?"

"Then they could arrest him, Bay. That is not an option." John interjected "He has to go. I believe the race is won and even if it isn't I'll be able to do something after the campaign. Right now it won't benefit any of us."

Bay started crying again. She cried for three days. She so much wanted to be strong, but the hormones weren't helping. She managed a weak smile once Ty held her one last time before he left.

"Ty, please don't worry about me, ok. I don't know why I can't stop crying but I'll be fine. Just make sure you're safe and come back to see our Alexis."

Ty nodded somewhat relieved. These past three days had taken a huge toll on him as well. He kissed her.

"I love you Bay and I love Alexis. I'll do everything I can to be home as fast as I can."

Bay watched as he got into the car. She spent the rest of the day in bed sobbing.

Daphne came home for her summer vacation the next day and after taking one look at Bay she moved into the guest house. If it weren't for her sister, Bay didn't think she would have been able to deal with Ty's deployment.

She tried to sound upbeat every time they Skyped as she could see from his face that he was crazy with worry. The fact that he was at a secret location and could only Skype once a week for five minutes was driving him crazy.

Finally, after three long months Bay clicked on disconnect and smiled. John had won the election and he had promised her to get Ty home very soon.

\- " -

Ty looked from side to side, and caught his breath as he in his companions ventured closer to enemy territory. The other night, there had been a distress call from some near bye allies, and being some of the best soldier's in their battalion, Ty and five of his companions, had been asked to scout the last known location. That just happened to be about 50 meters from this spot. Ty felt his heart pound as the night seemed to become ever more still as they continued walking forward.

"Ok men," the commanding soldier in the group spoke up," We are answering a distress call, our enemies can be lurking in every corner." A small crack was heard and the soldier put his hand in the air as if directing his subordinates to stall. With that he carefully scoured the land around them. At first all seemed well, but soon the soldier saw a slight movement about 35 meters away. He quickly directed his soldier's in the direction of the movement.

The group quickly looked for any piece of land in which they could have a better vantage point. About 30 meters away they caught sight of what looked like a stone wall pushing up from the Earth. The commander looked around the camp some more to discern any other hideaways for his men to go to. He saw one more about 50 meters east and directed 1/3 of his men there, 1/3 of his men to the one that was closer, and another third to scour the remaining land.

At this, Ty and his group were asked to go to the wall that was about 50 meters away and signal of anything was wrong. Ty and his group followed the commander's lead, and cautiously headed towards the wall. All seemed well, but as they came closer to the area, Ty felt as if they were moving into a trap. Ty put his hand in the air to prevent advancement, and grit his teeth as he felt something buzz in his pocket and pulled out the radio to see SOS. His eyes went wide as he heard a slight ticking no more than 5 meters away.

"Leave." He bellowed and he and his men hurried away from the danger area. A bright light filled the air as a piece of the ground exploded and forced his men in the air. Ty held back a shout as he flew at least 4 meters, and pounded the ground. A loud crack was heard, and Ty winced as his arm went numb.

"Mendoza!" He heard someone shout, and Ty groggily looked up to see Private Estes heading his way. The private shot a figure behind him and Ty looked up to see a corpse falling towards him. Ty barely managed to roll out of the way with his good arm before the figure landed where he had just previously been. Ty looked back at Estes just in time to see a black silhouette appear the man's sides.

"Estes." he cried as he pulled out his gun to take a shot, " Behind you!" Ty blinked as he felt the sharp pain race through his back. Everything went black.

\- " -

Bay and Daphne were sleeping when Bay heard a knock at the door. Bay sat-up in bed with a sense of dread. She shook Daphne and told her what was happening. Daphne took one look at Bay's face and quickly got up to get the door. It was 3 AM and she knew that the news couldn't be good ones. Once she took a look at John's face she knew she had been right.

Bay started shaking "No, Dad, no, please no!"

John hugged her as much as possible given the size of her belly.

"Is he…did he…" Bay couldn't say it.

"He's alive Bay. For now. He's been badly injured." John didn't want to relate the initial list of injuries, which included a broken arm, a collapsed lung, severe damage to his back and a head injury.

Bay took a deep breath "Are they bringing him here?"

John shook his head "He's not stable yet. They've evacuated him to Lisbon."

His heart went out to his little girl shaking in his arms. All of a sudden he felt his pants get wet. He looked down and realized that Bay's water had broken.

_**Thank you again for your lovely reviews. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. The injury part was originally written by lightningstorm for The Return of a Soldier. Unfortunately at the time I couldn't use it due to a timing issue with posting the story, but I always kept it on the back burner for the future. Now, more than a year later, I was able to use it. Please review and send me your suggestions. **_


	22. College

_**Kansas City, the future**_

Ty smiled to himself as he thought about the amazing weekend they'd had. He truly felt fulfilled. He had a beautiful wife with his son on the way and although things hadn't always been easy in the past, right now they couldn't be better. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see that it was after 11 PM. He finished his beer and decided to join Bay in bed.

As he passed Alexis' bedroom he heard her call out to him. He frowned. She might be almost 18, but she knew that they had a lights-out rule at 10 on school nights. He opened the door and found her sitting on the bed clutching a letter. She looked excited and nervous at the same time.

"Alex, what are you doing up? You should be sleeping by now." He admonished her.

Alex looked up at him through her big brown eyes and he swore he could have been looking into Bay's.

"Dad, I've got to tell you something. I'm not sure how you'll take it, but I know that Mum won't take it well."

Ty felt his heart stop for a millisecond. He quickly sat on the bed.

"What's wrong?" He looked towards the letter "Is it about the scholarship? I told you not to worry, we'll manage."

Alex laughed nervously "It's about the scholarship. But a different kind of scholarship. Oh please, please don't hate me. I wasn't expecting this and now I got the letter. I don't know what to say."

Ty frowned again. What was it with women and beating around the bush? He would never understand it.

"Spill it! You're sounding just like your mother." He said impatiently.

Alex handed him the letter with trembling hands "Here. See for yourself."

Ty opened the envelope and took out the letter. He scanned the content quickly and opened his eyes in wonder.

"Woah! She's is going to skin me alive." He muttered more to himself than to Alex.

He looked at his daughter who was anxiously staring at him. Then he smiled and hugged her to him.

"West Point? You got accepted into West Point?"

Alexis let out a breath in relief "You're not angry?"

Ty squeezed her hand "Angry? You just got into one of the best Universities in the country. You couldn't make me prouder. But why? You never mentioned it in the past."

Alexis beamed at him "Oh Dad! I've wanted it so badly, but I was sure I would never be accepted. They only take 4% of the applicants. I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Alex, you could never disappoint me. You do know that this is a completely different ball game, right? While your friends will be decorating their college dorms, you'll be put through hell and back. It's not for everyone."

Alex nodded "I know, but it's what I want. Will you help me prepare? I have a competitive advantage with you as a father after all."

Ty nodded "You have about 2 months to get fit."

Alexis laughed "Dad, I am fit."

Ty patted her shoulder "Not for this, you're not." He rand his hand through her long hair "And you do realize that this will have to come off, right?"

Alexis looked a bit forlorn "I know. I can always grow it back one day" She took his hand "Will you speak to Mum?"

Ty sighted loudly "Oh dear! Yes, I'll speak to her. Are you ready to see some plates flying?"

"I'll go whether she lets me or not. I would love to have her blessing, though."

Ty nodded "You'll have it. It might not be tomorrow, but she'll come around in the end."

"Thanks Dad, I knew I could count on you."

Ty kissed her forehead "Go to sleep now. We have a big day tomorrow."

He quietly made his way into bed. He took one look at Bay sleeping peacefully next to him and he realized that this was the last time he would see that expression in a while. He sighted as he turned on his side. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep.

The next day he got out of bed before seven and tiptoed into the kitchen. He quickly whipped up some peanut butter pancakes, some orange juice and a coffee and made his way upstairs with the tray. Bay blinked sleepily as she saw him come in. She sat up in bed and looked at him suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" She was instantly awake.

Ty tried to look innocent "What? I can't bring my gorgeous wife breakfast in bed?"

"Not on a Monday and not when you're looking like you didn't sleep one second." Bay was no fool.

Ty sat on the bed and put the tray on the nightstand.

"Alex got accepted into West Point." There, he'd said it.

He looked at Bay and saw a wide range of emotions pass through her face in less than one second. Shock, panic, horror and finally what he had feared…anger.

"She…did…what…?" Bay enunciated every word trying to get her fury under control.

"You heard me. Don't look at me like that. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. She applied, she got in. And she's damn proud of herself."

"As are you?" Bay spat out. This was the difficult part and Ty knew that he had to choose his words carefully.

"I'm shocked as well Bay. I had no idea that she wanted this. If you want to hear that I'm upset, I can't tell you that, I'm sorry."

Bay slammed her hand on the nightstand spilling the orange juice.

"Ty, need I remind you what they did to you? What I went through, not to mention what you went through?"

Ty lifted his hands "Bay, this is not the infantry. This is one of the best Universities in the country."

Bay had tears in her eyes now "They'll still suck her in Ty. Once they get their claws into her, they'll never let her go again."

"This is what she wants. If she makes it through those gruelling four years, she can be whatever she wants. It doesn't mean she'll choose active duty."

"I won't let it happen, Ty. You know the one thing I adored about having girls? That I would never have to deal with this."

Ty frowned "Now you're just being sexist Bay. Some of the best officers out there are females. It doesn't matter if you let it happen or not, she's made-up her mind. You won't be able to prevent it. Same as I won't be able to prevent her from sleeping with that fool."

Bay put her face in her hands. When she looked up again, Ty's heart constricted at seeing the look of defeat in her eyes. He took her hand in his.

"Bay, she wants your blessing. No…she needs your blessing. Please give it to her. She's facing one of the toughest freshman year in her life. She won't be able to do it without our support."

Bay shook her head "I don't think I can go through this again. I'll try, but I don't think I'll be able to. Do you know anyone there who can look out for her?"

Ty nodded "As a matter of fact Carter is there. He teaches law."

Bay looked at him in astonishment "Carter is a lawyer?"

Ty laughed "Don't look so shocked. He might not be the best at cleaning up after himself, but he does have brains. I'll call him now." Ty picked-up his cell phone.

"Ty, its 7:15 in the morning." Bay shook her head.

Ty just pressed the call button "He'll be in his office by now."

Carter picked-up after two rings.

"Mendoza, I've been waiting for your call" Ty soon heard Carter's deep voice on the other end.

"Hello Carter. And why would that be?" Ty asked dryly.

"I guess your daughter has spoken to you. Congratulations. She didn't choose an easy path."

"You know about that?" Ty asked astonished.

"Mendoza, I sit on the Admissions Board. When I saw that name…We didn't need a lot of convincing. She wrote a great letter and if she has only one ounce of her father's integrity…We're happy to have her, that's all I can say."

Ty let a small smile cross his lips. He couldn't help but feel another burst of pride at his daughter. He turned serious again.

"Carter, Bay is worried. After what happened to me…Will you look out for Alexis?"

Carter scoffed "No one here gets special treatment, but I'll keep an eye out. And tell Bay not to worry. For now. It's quite safe here."

Ty nodded "Thanks, man, I really appreciate it."

"See you on Admissions Day, Mendoza, I look forward to having a drink with you. Tell Aida to come as well."

Ty ended the call and looked at Bay. He was happy to see that she was finally eating.

"He'll look out for her."

Bay nodded "I guess that's better than nothing. My coffee is cold. Let's go downstairs."

Ty shot a look at her "Bay…"

"Don't worry Ty. She'll have my blessing…eventually. Until then I'll try and mask my disapproval as much as possible."

The moment Bay saw Alexis she forgot about her words. She could see in her daughter's eyes that she needed her approval right now and that she would not have the required time to get used to the idea. She quickly walked up to her and took her in her arms. Alex hugged her tightly.

"Did Dad tell you?" She asked in a small voice.

"He did. This is not easy for me Alex. But if that's what you want I'll support you. Always."

Alexis looked at her mother gratefully. Ty winked at her.

"Thanks Mum, you don't know what that means to me."

Bay took her daughters face between her hands.

"Why Alex? What made you do it?"

Alexis smiled "Actually it was you, Mum."

Ty looked shocked and so did Bay "Me? I never wanted the Military for you, never!"

Alexis looked at Bay thoughtfully.

"You know, Mum, when I mentioned this to Ryan he said, why don't you just enlist and chose the easier path. And then I thought about the time we flew down to Florida all those years ago and I told you I wanted to be an air hostess, because I so loved that plane. Do you remember what you said to me back then?"

Bay nodded "Why be an air hostess when you can be the pilot?" She wiped her eyes "Oh Alex!"

"You inspired me Mum. And you still do. I don't tell you that very often."

Bay was too choked-up for words. She just hugged Alexis to her once again. Ty blinked.

"You'll be a fine officer one day and I'm so proud of you." Bay murmured.

"Will you come to my Admission's Day?"

Bay nodded "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Alexis beamed and hugged Ty "Thank you" She whispered in his ear.

Ty patted her back "I told you she'd come round." He whispered back.

Alexis brushed her fingers through her hair and turned to Ty with a cocky expression.

"You know that once I graduate, I'll outrank you, right?"

Bay laughed and Ty nodded thoughtfully "Once you graduate. Until then you have a curfew."

Alexis smiled "When do we start boot camp?"

"We can start this evening after I get back from work" Ty squeezed her upper arms "You'll need a lot more of upper body strength. It's not all about running."

Alexis laughed "I can't wait. Let's arm wrestle in a month."

Ty sipped his coffee and squinted his eyes at her "Sweetheart, in one month you'll be wishing that you'd never asked for my help."

Bay looked at them and smiled to herself. She hoped that Alexis was ready to see a side of her father that had lain dormant for many years. Once Ty went into Army mode, it was no joke.

She wiped away the small tear that had formed at the corner of her eye. It would be fine. She thought about a time in which she had thought that her beautiful daughter might have never met her father at all.

_**Kansas City, the past**_

When asked at a later stage in her life about the day she gave birth to Alexis, Bay would be embarrassed to say that she didn't remember. Over the years she had pieced together bits and pieces related to her by John, Kathryn and Daphne until she managed to tell a credible story. She couldn't even remember the pain of being in labour for over 10 hours. All she could remember was the physical pain she felt thinking of her husband fighting for his life halfway across the world.

She did recall the moment her daughter was placed in her arms and how she took in her scent for the first time. Even as a new born the similarity to Ty was hard to miss. Bay had been overcome with love for the little bundle in her arms and had felt a ray of hope.

"Hi there Alexis. You look so much like your father. At least there is no chance of you having been switched. He's sick right now, but he promised that he would be home to see you. Maybe not as soon as I hoped, but he will get to see you one day."

Due to the amount of stress Bay had been under and the slight jaundice that was diagnosed in Alexis, she had to stay in hospital for a week. Given the circumstances, she was treated like royalty by the staff.

Every day when John, Kathryn or Regina came to visit, Bay would look at them in fear. But every day they shook their heads saying that the situation was unchanged. Ty remained in a medically induced coma with a reserved prognosis. After a couple of days Bay resigned herself to the fact that at least he was alive.

She couldn't get enough of Alexis and tried to spend every minute of the day with her. She was her bridge to Ty. She couldn't wait to take her home.

When Bay finally did, she wasn't prepared at the pain that hit her once she stepped into the nursery and saw the half-finished outline of the fairy castle. She had never brought herself to complete it as it reminded her of that terrible phone call three months earlier.

She placed the baby carrier on the floor and cried. When Kathryn and John saw her they immediately moved her and Alexis into her old room. Bay cried for a week and Kathryn was the first to recognize the signs of the post-partum depression. She pulled John to the side one evening.

"John, she's not getting better. It's been a week and she hardly comes out of that room. Can you take her?"

John looked at her worriedly "He's stable now, but still in a coma. They managed to fix pretty much everything, but for the brain swelling. Will she be able to handle it? And what about Alexis?"

"I'll deal with Alexis, Bay will have to pump some milk and I'll keep some formula if I run out. Take her, even if it's just for two days. It's your last chance before you take office."

John nodded "Maybe you're right. I'll go and talk to her."

He went upstairs and knocked on Bay's door.

"Come in" He heard the faint reply.

His heart constricted when he saw her breastfeeding Alexis while looking out of the window with a vacant expression. She slowly turned her head towards him.

"Hi Dad." She said tonelessly.

"Hi Bay, I came to talk to you about something."

Bay just looked at him.

"Do you want to fly to Lisbon and see Ty? We could leave on Friday and fly back Monday."

He was sure he saw a faint glimmer in Bay's eyes "Could we? Alexis is so small."

"Your mother will keep her. I'll let you sort out the details with her."

Bay nodded "Thanks Dad."

Two days later they were on their way. For once Bay looked cheerful. John had spoken to the doctors and they had told him that they were ready to wake-up Ty. They'd also asked for Bay to come if possible, so that they could check for memory loss. John had traded in his air miles for an upgrade and after a short stopover in New York they were on their way to Lisbon. Bay turned towards John.

"Thank you Dad, thank you for using all your connections in the world to speak to the doctors. They wouldn't have told me anything."

John patted her hand.

"I feel so guilty that I wasn't able to pull him out sooner Bay. I needed one more week back then and I would have gotten him home. I'll never forgive myself for that."

Bay nodded "It is what it is. Right now I just want him to live and don't hear about the Army for the rest of my life."

She dozed off and woke-up to the beautiful Lisbon skyline six hours later. She'd never been to Europe before and she was looking at the old buildings in wonder.

"It looks so different, Dad. It's gorgeous."

John nodded "There's nothing like Europe. If all goes well I'll send Ty and you over here one day so you can explore."

They cleared customs and immigration and as they had no bags, they went straight to the taxis and John gave the driver the address of the hotel located next to the military hospital downtown.

They didn't even bother trying to check-in and went straight across the street to the hospital. It took a while for them to be cleared, but soon one of the doctors walked towards them.

He greeted them warmly and in excellent English and ushered them into an office.

"It's good to have Sergeant Mendoza's wife here. We have held off the wake-up procedure for another day, as it is stressful and sometimes the presence of a loved one helps."

Bay nodded "When can I see him?"

"You'll be able to see him now. It's still very early and I'm waiting for the shift change in order to proceed. You can stay with him until then." He turned to John apologetically "Mr. Kennish, I am very sorry, but I've been advised that only the wife is allowed to see him."

John looked surprised but nodded "I'll wait downstairs."

Bay was escorted through a maze of corridors and finally reached a door. She saw a US soldier at the entrance and for the first time she put two and two together. The silence from her husband's employer, the Skype calls once a week, the undisclosed location. This mission had cost everyone dearly.

The soldier nodded at her and followed her into the room. Bay soon forgot about his presence when she saw Ty. She felt tears stinging in her eyes when she saw his shaven head peaking from under the bandage, the breathing tube sticking out from his neck and the heavily bandaged arm. He looked like he had lost at least 10 pounds.

Bay quickly moved to his bedside and took his hand. He didn't stir and the machines beeped on.

"Hi Ty, it's me, Bay. I finally made it over here to see you. Our daughter is two and a half weeks old now and she's the spitting image of you."

Bay continued to talk to him for the next hour telling him all about little Alexis and her trip to Lisbon. She heard the door open and saw the team of doctors and nurses entering the room.

The doctor turned to her "Mrs. Mendoza, this might be a bit traumatic. Patients are often in shock when they wake-up after such a long time. I wouldn't normally let you witness this, but your presence here today is crucial so that we can establish the extend of the brain damage. You can hold his hand. Talk to him as much as possible and keep repeating your name."

Bay nodded and felt slightly faint as she saw the team starting to push buttons and twist dials. She grabbed Ty's hand even tighter. Nothing happened for fifteen minutes and Bay was looking more and more panicked, when she felt her hand being squeezed. She quickly turned towards the doctor and told him and he quickly said some words in Portuguese to the rest of his team.

Then everything happened very quickly. Ty opened his eyes wide and gasped as he tried to lift himself. Two nurses quickly held him down as his body shook. He was still trying to fight them and the rasping breaths he was taking were terrifying Bay.

"Talk to him Mrs. Mendoza" The doctor said firmly.

Bay squeezed Ty's hand again "Ty, can you hear me? It's me, Bay. I'm right here. Look at me!"

Ty turned her head towards her "Alexis?"

"She's fine Ty, she's beautiful."

Bay felt relief flooding through her body as she cried tears of joy. The doctor looked at her puzzled.

"Alexis? I thought your name was Bay."

"Alexis is our daughter, she was born three weeks ago."

The doctor nodded and made some notes. Bay was still talking to Ty. He looked calmer now that his eyes were focused on her.

"I…love…you…Bay" He managed to utter the words under enormous strain.

He closed his eyes and the doctor gave some more instructions in Portuguese. More dials were turned and more buttons were pushed.

"Are you putting him in a coma again?" Bay asked with a panicked voice.

The doctor shook his head "He's sleeping now. This was a huge achievement Mrs. Mendoza. Your presence here helped. We will run some more tests, but the damage might be minor than we thought. It's still early to say, but he might be able to be transferred home in one month."

Bay didn't know whether to feel joy or sadness at hearing those words. She decided to celebrate the occasion. If one month meant that Ty would make a full recovery, she would gladly wait.

Bay extended her hand towards the doctor "Obrigada" She uttered the only word she knew in Portuguese "Thank you."

_**Oh poor, poor Bay! She really took a beating in this chapter. Am I being too hard on her? I hope not because I love her.**_

_**And what about Alexis? Do you feel sorry for her already? Should Ty go easy on her or show her exactly what she is getting herself into? Please let me know, I need your guidance here.**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter. Please review.**_


	23. Fit

_**Kansas City, the future**_

Bay decided to leave her car at the dealership and laughed as Ty drove up in the little red convertible that Alexis had taken to her prom. He got out and opened the door for her.

"So this little beauty hasn't been sold yet. What surprise!" Bay exclaimed.

"Not yet, I thought we could take her out for a spin to your parents' house. It's a beautiful day."

Just as Ty was starting the engine they saw Toby running towards them. He furrowed his brow when he saw the car.

"Seriously, Ty? I thought we're all riding together."

Ty raised his hands apologetically "Sorry man, there's no room in here. See you at the house."

Toby just shrugged unnerved and Bay waved at him coyly.

"The news you're breaking better be worth me driving over." Toby shouted after them, but Ty had already turned the corner.

Bay laughed and grabbed her hair as they whizzed through the streets until they reached Mission Hills.

"Can we just keep it?" She asked.

Ty patted her knee "Once you stop popping out babies we might be able to."

Kathryn and John came out and greeted them. Regina, Toby and Daphne arrived at the same time.

"Thanks for organizing lunch." Bay hugged Kathryn.

Kathryn smiled at her "Oh Bay, I love having you guys over. I know that lunch is the only time we can have the adults all together."

Daphne looked at her watch "I need to be back at the hospital in one hour. I can't wait to hear the news."

They quickly settled around the table. Kathryn was used to organizing these quick lunches and she already had the food out on the table. Once everyone was eating John turned to Bay.

"So what's the big news?"

Bay smiled and looked at Ty.

"I'm pregnant"

Everyone looked at them in shock for a second. Daphne was the first one to smile and to hug Bay.

"Wow, that's some news Bay. Is everything ok?"

Bay nodded and everybody started speaking at the same time and congratulating them.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Kathryn asked.

"It's a boy" Ty said "And we're calling him Angelo."

Regina dabbed her eyes "Oh Ty! That's so sweet. I can't wait to see him."

"How did my granddaughters take the news? I bet Alex and Andrea were thrilled." John interjected sarcastically.

Ty rolled his eyes "We heard it all. From you're old, to you're disgusting, to how embarrassing. They're coming around now, though."

"Did you plan this?" Toby asked.

Bay and Ty were quick to shake their heads "God no! We thought we were done. I was shocked when the doctor told me. I thought I needed vitamins."

"I'm so happy you're finally getting a boy. I know how much you hoped for one the last two times." Kathryn said.

"At least these two make-up for the children that Daphne and I never had. They're like rabbits" Toby said winking at them.

Bay blushed and slapped him on his leg. "Stop it! You should have had kids, the girls love you."

Toby shrugged "Maybe it's in Daph's and my genes that we were never destined to spend our lives with the same person."

Daphne nodded wistfully "Sometimes I regret it when I'm with Alex, Andrea and Anita. It just never worked out."

John patted Ty on the back "Hope that scholarship comes through for Alex."

Ty quickly glanced at Bay and John was surprised to see the look on her face. She pressed her lips together.

"Ty can tell you all about her scholarship." She said between clenched teeth.

They all turned towards Ty.

"She got accepted into West Point."

John opened his eyes wide and smiled broadly "That's my girl. You must be so proud."

Bay turned towards her father angrily "Dad, how can you say that? How could you want that for her? Isn't it enough that Ty nearly died?"

Kathryn and Daphne looked at Bay worriedly. They knew better than anyone how far Bay's hatred went.

John just shrugged "She's getting the best education in the country. You should be proud of her. They're very selective. I hope she makes it, but knowing Alex, she will."

"Have you told her how you feel?" Toby asked Bay.

Bay shook her head "No, she's so excited. She needs our full support. Deep down she knows I disapprove."

John brought out a bottle of champagne "Let's drink to the baby and to West Point."

He poured the champagne and even Bay had the tiniest of sips to celebrate. She really cherished these moments with her family more than anything and even if they didn't get together like this often, when they did it made up for everything.

They drove back to the dealership shortly after and Bay wistfully ran her hand over the hood of the car.

"One day you'll be mine." She said as she fondly patted the metal.

Ty just laughed and kissed her goodbye.

Bay collected Anita and sat down in the kitchen to help her with her homework. Andrea was doing an art assignment and wouldn't be back until the evening. Alexis came home during the afternoon. Bay called out to her when she heard the door.

"Did everything go ok at the doctor?" She asked her daughter.

Alexis nodded and smiled at Bay "Thanks Mum."

Bay felt a heaviness around her heart again at thinking of her daughter with Ryan. At least she wouldn't have to worry about a pregnancy given that Alexis was so excited about going to West Point. She was sure that her daughter would take every precaution there was.

"Do you know when Dad gets back? He promised me that he would exercise with me today. I can't wait to whoop him."

Bay nodded thoughtfully "He won't be late. Your uncle is back so he'll make the time. I don't think there'll be much whopping going on Alex. He'll help you; it doesn't mean he'll go through it himself. Be careful what you wish for."

Alexis just laughed "I'm going to get changed."

Ty came home an hour later and kissed Bay on the cheek.

"Hi there, I'm going to head out with Alex. Don't worry about dinner; I'm still full from lunch."

Bay smiled "She's been waiting for you."

Ty quickly got changed and knocked on Alexis' door on his way down.

"Let's go!" He shouted.

He got into the car and was soon joined by his daughter.

"Where're we going, Dad? I thought we were running." Alexis asked confused.

"We're going to the gym. You can do the three mile run with no problem; it's the rest I'm worried about."

Alexis nodded "Ok, I think I can manage."

They soon arrived at the gym and started stretching. Alexis shook her arms.

"What now Dad?"

Ty walked towards a bar at the end of the gym.

"Let me see what you got. Show me a proper pull-up."

Alexis nodded and took two steps back to gain some momentum before jumping towards the bar and grabbing it. She tried to pull herself up but failed miserably. She looked towards Ty with a stunned expression. He frowned.

"What are you doing? This is not a gymnastics competition where you need to run towards the bar. Just pull yourself up."

Alexis rubbed her hands together and stood under the bar. She grabbed it and tried to pull herself up. She managed to get her forehead over the bar before letting herself fall again.

Ty nodded "That's a start."

Alexis shook her head "Dad, what am I doing wrong? I can't do it."

"You're doing everything wrong. It's ok, we'll practice. Right now you lack the strength to pull yourself up and you're using the wrong muscles."

"Can you show me how to do it?" Alexis asked.

Ty looked doubtful "I can try, but I haven't done this in a long time. I can't put that much weight on my bad arm."

He grabbed the bar and pulled himself up. He managed one pull-up, then he winced and let go.

"This is about as much as I can show you." He shook his arm.

"Still looks a lot better than mine. How many of these will I have to do?"

"You'll need to do 10, but we'll aim for 13 just so you're safe."

Alexis sighed "How?"

"We're going to start the other way round. I'm going to push you over the bar. Then, you slowly lower yourself all the way down - let your arms hang grasping the bar fully stretched. Keep your feet up for 5 seconds. This will get your arms used to supporting your weight."

Alexis nodded and Ty stood behind her and grabbed her waist. He lifted her until her chin was over the bar. He slowly let her go and Alexis face scrunched up from the effort to hold her weight. Ty counted down from 5 and Alexis gratefully let go when he reached zero.

"Well done! Now we'll do it again." Ty stood behind her and lifted her once more.

After three more rounds Alexis collapsed on the floor exhausted.

"I can't do anymore."

"Yes, you can. Take a 5 minute break." He sat down next to her.

"You were right, Dad, I'm not fit enough. I don't see how I'll ever be able to do it."

Ty patted her back "You will. I started with the most difficult part. Once we have the pull-ups sorted out, we'll work on the push-ups and the sit-ups. This will help."

"Is this the only way to practice them?" Alex panted.

"No, there are other ways. We'll try them later this week. For today we stick with this." Ty offered a hand "Come on, your break is over."

By the time Alexis had managed to do the exercise 10 times, an hour had passed and she was soaked in sweat. Ty looked at her proudly.

"See, you managed. That's enough for today."

Alexis lay on the mat "I can't move."

Ty laughed "You better, because that was nothing. Tomorrow we're going to rest those arms of yours and go for a run."

Alexis face brightened "That's great! I thought we weren't doing any running."

"It's a different kind of run. You'll have a 20 lb backpack on you."

Alexis groaned "You're killing me!"

Ty laughed "You've seen nothing yet. Just remember that you'll have a lot on your plate, the more we can minimize the impact the better."

He offered a hand again and they walked out of the gym. Ty put an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"I'm very proud of you. Just don't mention it to your Mum that often."

Alexis beamed at him "Will you teach me how to shoot?"

Ty mulled it over for a few seconds "Let's see how we get on. If there's time we can take a trip to a shooting range. That you can definitely not mention to your mother for now. She's not ready for that…yet!"

Alexis laughed loudly and got into the car. Ty drove the short distance back to their house and once they reached the driveway they ran into Bay, who had just collected Andrea.

"You look like you just got out of a washing machine" Andrea looked at Alexis disdainfully.

"You look like Dali threw up on you!" Alexis quickly retorted.

"Why don't you two go have a shower" Bay quickly chimed in "One of you can use our bathroom."

"I will!" Alexis said quickly "I'm just going to text Ryan. I'm too tired to see him tonight."

Bay couldn't help but laugh at the smirk on Ty's face. He put his arm around her as they watched their squabbling daughters retreat.

"My, my, Bay! I might have just found the perfect invisible chastity belt."

Bay punched him playfully "Well done! Poor Alex, I feel for her already. How did it go?"

Ty frowned "She has a lot of work to do in very little time. I think she knows it as well. I'll get her there, but it won't be without tears."

Bay nodded "At least you look fresh as a daisy. I guess Alex did all the work."

Ty sighed loudly "I can run, but I'll never be able to do the rest anymore. My arm will never be strong enough again."

Bay leaned her head against his shoulder "At least you're still in one piece and alive. It could all have been so much different."

Ty kissed her temple "You're right…we should be grateful for what we have."

_**Sorry it took me so long to update, work is busy at the moment and I just don't have that much time to write. This chapter was supposed to be future and past again, but rather than keep you waiting even longer, I decided to leave it like this for now. I will try and write the next one before the weekend, but at this time I can't promise. You're the best reviewers and I hate to let you down. I hope you like it. Please review. **_


	24. Changes

_**Kansas City, the past**_

Kathryn sighted loudly as laid in bed and leaned against John. He put down the draft bill he was reading and took off his glasses.

"What's wrong?"

"She's not getting any better, John. It's been four months since you took her to Lisbon. When she got back she seemed like a new person and then she withdrew again."

John hugged Kathryn to him.

"I know. He should have been home a long time ago. I wish they would tell me more, but there's only so much red tape I can cut through. I worry about her too and about Alexis."

Kathryn shook her head "They're just not bonding. She takes care of her, but everything is mechanic, like it's someone else doing it."

"At least she's got you, Regina and me all fawning over her. Bay might be her mother and she might be going through a rough patch, but that baby is being spoiled rotten by all of us. It could be worse."

Kathryn ran her hand through her hair "I just want my old Bay back. Have you heard anything else?"

John shook his head "I'm being fed the same story for the past two weeks. They will send him home soon. I'm hoping for any day now."

Kathryn closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. How could everything have happened the way it did. Why all the secrets and mystery? They had all been thrilled when they heard that Ty was to be transferred from Lisbon to the US eight weeks after her had been injured. The initial estimate of the doctor had been prolonged due to unforeseen complications in the form of seizures. Bay had been worried sick and finally she was allowed a moment of happiness when Ty had been declared stable enough for a transfer.

What no one had expected was that the military was transferring him to their own hospital facility in Colorado and would not allow any visits or contact, citing matters of national security. Bay had cried and shouted, but as far as the army went, Ty still belonged to them.

In the end she had resigned herself to her fate and had withdrawn to some place in her mind that only she knew of. Her depression took a toll on everyone. John had tried everything to get more information, but other than telling him that Ty was stable and recovering, there was not much more he could find out.

That was until two weeks ago, when he learned that Ty was being discharged soon. Now they were all anxiously waiting for news.

Bay lay in bed staring at the ceiling with her eyes wide open. She didn't really sleep much these days…neither did she eat much or talked much. How did everything go so wrong? Dealing with a newborn while Ty was almost dying had been bad enough, but she had handled it. It was the silence that came after and the unknown that had thrown her over the edge. She felt the hatred engulf her again. How could they keep him away from her, from their daughter for months? Who did such a thing?

She blinked back her angry tears as she heard Alexis cry. She got-up and lifted her daughter from the cot before lying back down and feeding her. It was all a routine to her now. She looked at the tiny bundle in her arms and she wanted to love her so much, but she couldn't. Right now she couldn't love anyone.

Suddenly she got startled by her phone ringing. It was 3 AM, no one called at this time…unless…, she felt her heart beating rapidly as she picked up the phone from the nightstand.

"Hello…" She said with a trembling voice.

"Ms. Bay Mendoza?" Bay heard an officious voice one the other line.

"Speaking" Bay's hands were sweating now and she wiped them on the bed cover.

"This is to inform you that Staff Sergeant Mendoza will arrive at Richards-Gebaur air force base tomorrow at 7 AM local time. An escort will be provided to his home."

Bay started shaking "Thank you, thank you so much. Is he ok? Can I come and collect him?"

"Mrs. Mendoza, that is all the information I am authorized to give you at this point. Please wait at home, you do not have clearance to go and collect Staff Sergeant Mendoza. Have a good night."

The line was gone. Bay looked at the phone incredulously. Ty was coming home. He would be here in a couple of hours. For the first time in months she smiled. She picked-up Alexis who had fallen asleep.

"Your Dad is coming. You'll finally get to meet him."

Bay was unable to fall asleep and took a shower and got dressed. At 6:30 she knocked on her parents' door. John opened the door and looked at her sleepily.

"Dad, Ty is coming, he's landing at 7. They're dropping him off here."

John let out an audible gasp and hugged Bay to him. She held onto him tightly and he turned towards Kathryn.

"Honey, wake-up! Our son-in-law is on his way home."

They had to wait another agonizing two hours until they heard the bell at the gate chime. Bay picked-up Alexis and ran outside. Kathryn and John followed suit. Bay felt the tears stinging in her eyes as she saw the black car slowly making its way up the drive before coming to a halt next to her.

Before the driver could get out to open the door, Ty stepped out and walked towards Bay. He didn't say anything as she handed Alexis to Kathryn and flew into his arms. He held her as tightly as possible.

"Hi" he mumbled into her hair.

The driver interrupted their moment requesting a signature and Bay turned towards Kathryn and took Alexis from her.

"This is our daughter." She carefully placed the baby into Ty's arms.

Ty looked at Alexis and his eyes moistened over. He ran his finger over her cheek and Alexis smiled at him. He looked at Bay.

"She's perfect." His voice was breaking.

Kathryn dabbed at her eyes and John placed his arm around her. He had never witnessed such an emotional scene before. He grabbed Ty's bag.

"Let's go inside."

Alexis started crying and Bay recognized the sound.

"She's hungry, I need to feed her. Let's go upstairs."

They followed John to Bay's room and he set the bag on the floor. He looked at it and turned to Ty.

"Do you have any other clothes?"

Ty nodded "Yes, they are at the guest house."

"Kathryn and I will get some of them. We'll leave you two alone. Let us know when you want to come down for breakfast."

Bay sat on the bed and opened her blouse. Ty handed her the baby. He was so mesmerized at watching Bay feed her that Bay blushed under his glance. He noticed it and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok" She said quickly "It's just that I'm always by myself."

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"She's a good baby."

They sat in uncomfortable silence. Both of them quickly realized that they were not the same people who had hugged each other good bye over half a year ago. Ty looked at Bay and saw the shadows under her eyes. She looked different, she looked sad. Bay in turn looked at Ty and felt a deja-vu to the time when he had come back from Afghanistan all those years ago.

"I'm so happy you're here." Bay broke the silence.

"So am I Bay, more than you can ever imagine."

"Are you ok?" Bay took his hand tentatively and he squeezed it.

"Physically? Yes. I had three surgeries on my arm but it's slowly getting back to normal."

Bay bit her lip and nodded "And the rest?"

"I don't know. I can't talk about it right now."

They fell silent again. Alexis finished eating and Bay handed her back to Ty while she closed her blouse. For the second time today Bay saw Ty's eyes soften. Why wouldn't he look at her like that? Bay felt s stab of jealousy and quickly shook her head to get rid of those thoughts.

"Do you want to have some breakfast?"

"Yes, after I have a shower."

Bay took Alexis "I'll get you some clothes while you're in there."

Ty pulled at his shirt and Bay raised her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God, Ty!" She looked at the angry scars on his arm and his back.

Ty felt the heat in his cheeks "I'm sorry Bay."

She raised her hand to touch them and he flinched. She quickly pulled back.

"What have they done to you?"

Ty took her hand "Bay, I…I…look…I can't talk about what happened over the past two months. It's not even that I don't want to, I really cannot say anything." He took a deep breath "I haven't had contact with anyone for a long time. I didn't mean to push you away."

Bay looked at him in defeat "Ok"

Once he had closed the door to the bathroom it dawned on her that they hadn't even kissed yet. With a heavy heart she went downstairs. Kathryn and John smiled at her when she came into the kitchen and quickly turned serious when they saw her face.

"What's wrong Bay, aren't you happy that Ty is back?" Kathryn asked worriedly.

"I am Mum, I'm over the moon that he's back."

"Then what's the matter?" John asked.

"I don't know. He's acting strange; he can't tell me what happened. The only thing he told me is that he's been pretty much isolated ever since he got back."

John patted her back.

"Bay, I also don't know anything and I'm sure that he can't speak about it. You have to give him some time. He must have been through a lot."

"It's like he's a different person." Bay stifled a sob.

"Give it some time Bay. A lot has happened to you as well. You had a baby while he was away. His daughter. He's not walking into the same situation he walked out of." Kathryn interjected.

"Maybe you're right Mum. I think we should move back into the guest house."

John raised his hand "You'll have to give it a couple of days. We just had it painted, remember? The smell is still strong."

Bay suddenly remembered that she had told John a while back that she couldn't bear looking at the wall in the nursery.

"You're right Dad, we'll have to stay here for a few days. Where are his clothes?"

John handed her a plastic bag and Bay went back upstairs. She found Ty standing next to Alexis's cot with a towel wrapped around his waist. Alexis was sleeping soundly.

"She's so beautiful, Bay." Ty whispered.

"She looks a lot like you." Bay managed a small smile.

She handed him his clothes and he got dressed. Bay tried not to look at his injuries but she found it hard not to. They went downstairs together. Ty healthily tucked into the breakfast Kathryn had cooked and noticed that Bay was mostly shifting her food around her plate while taking the odd bite here and there.

"Thank you Kathryn. It's nice to have a home cooked meal again after such a long time."

Kathryn beamed at Ty "I was wondering if I should get Daphne, Regina and Toby over for dinner to celebrate your return."

John didn't miss the brief look of panic that came across Ty's face.

"Honey, why don't we let Ty settle down first before calling everyone? I suspect he and Bay want to have some time alone."

Ty nodded gratefully. They were interrupted by the baby monitor and Alexis crying. Ty quickly got-up.

"I'll check on her."

Bay looked at his retreating form "At least someone is getting through to him."

He was back two minutes later with Alexis in his arms. She had stopped trying and was examining him closely through her big brown eyes

Kathryn smiled at them "It's a beautiful day. Why don't you go for a stroll with her outside?"

Bay nodded "Yes, let's get her changed."

They went back upstairs and Bay told Ty to put Alexis on the changing table while she picked-out some clothes. She expertly changed the diaper while Ty looked around the room.

"Are you living here now?"

He saw a shadow pass across Bay's face.

"Yes. I couldn't go back to the guest house without you. Every time I saw that nursery I…" Bay felt her voice giving way.

Ty saw the tears and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok. Please don't cry."

Bay looked at him with eyes full of hurt.

"What's happening to us Ty? I feel like we're strangers."

Ty took a deep breath and ran a hand through his short hair "I don't know, Bay. I'm not in a good place."

"Neither am I."

There it was. That uncomfortable silence again. Bay sighed and picked-up Alexis.

"Let's go for a stroll then."

They walked towards the pool mostly in silence and Bay took a blanket and spread it on the grass. She placed Alexis on it and sat down. Ty sat next to her and tickled his daughter. He was rewarded with a loud gurgle. Ty smiled for the first time. He turned towards Bay.

"We'll work this out, Bay. I need some time to get adjusted to normal surroundings again."

Bay smiled sadly.

"I've longed for your return so much Ty. It physically hurt to be away from you."

"I've missed you so much as well Bay. Thinking about you and Alexis is what kept me sane."

Bay looked relieved. While the ice wasn't broken yet, a small crack had been made on the surface. Since Ty could not speak about the past two months and Bay had also little to relate, they spoke about Alexis. Ty was completely and utterly smitten by his daughter. Bay felt incredibly tired all of a sudden. She yawned and lay down on the blanket. She rested her head on Ty's leg and he leaned against the tree. Ty had Alexis on his good arm and he placed his hand tentatively on Bay's head and gently stroked her hair. As he closed his eyes he felt a ray of hope for the first time in months.

Kathryn and John made arrangements to be out for the day and evening so that Bay and Ty could have some time to themselves. After they had dinner they went upstairs and Bay showed Ty how to bathe Alexis. She marveled at how naturally he behaved around the baby, like he'd been doing it all his life. Alexis loved having a bath and as she kicked her chubby legs, a piece of foam landed on top of Ty's nose. He laughed and blew it away causing it to land on Bay's face. Bay shrieked and Alexis gurgled loudly and kicked her legs again. Bay and Ty both laughed and thoroughly enjoyed their brief carefree moment.

After an exhausted Alexis had fallen asleep, Bay stretched out on the bed. Ty glanced towards her nervously and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"Look Bay, I…I've been having these bad nightmares." He stuttered "I..I…don't know if it's best that I sleep in the guestroom."

Bay felt her throat constrict, she thought that she wouldn't be able to breathe.

"You…you…you don't want to sleep with me?"

Ty immediately regretted his words when he saw the look of hurt on her face. He quickly sat on the bed.

"No, Bay, of course I do. It's just that I don't want to wake you and Alexis."

Bay nodded slowly. Ty grabbed her hand.

"Listen, let's try it. If I get a bad nightmare and you can't sleep I'll leave, ok?"

He didn't want her to know that he was terrified of sleeping in the same bed as her after the two months he'd been kept in isolation. But Bay was his wife and the mother of his daughter. There was only so far he could go. He watched as Bay slipped on her nightgown and he stripped to his boxers and lay next to her. Bay snuggled into his arms and he flinched inwardly. He made an effort to smile at her.

She looked at him and ran a hand across his face.

"Do you realize we haven't even kissed yet?"

He shifted and placed his lips on her mouth. They kissed slowly and tentatively. Bay moaned quietly and ran her hand across his chest. She felt him shudder under her touch and she knew that he wasn't ready for more and neither was she. She withdrew her hand and he looked at her gratefully.

"One step at a time." She whispered.

"Yes" Ty kissed her forehead.

_**This chapter makes me incredibly sad. It was very hard to write. I hope you like it. I look forward to your reviews.**_


	25. Pain

_**Kansas City, the future**_

As Bay lay on the stretcher waiting for the CAT scan to commence, she felt the usual slight sadness. These yearly scans where the one time she allowed herself to truly grieve for Angelo. She always thought about her daughters and their relationship with their father and what Daphne has missed out on because of a stupid mistake someone had made at a hospital all those years ago.

What would have happened if they'd never been switched? Would Bay have had sisters who looked like her and who she would have squabbled with? Would they have given Regina and Angelo such a hard time as their daughters were giving them? And most importantly than all; would families have remained intact if a nurse hadn't made a terrible mistake?

Daphne might have chosen the most difficult career for a deaf person and she'd had to work twice as much as other doctors. Yet, Bay had always had a nagging feeling that the real reason she didn't want any children was because she'd grown up with an alcoholic mother and no father.

The whirring sound stopped.

"Mrs. Mendoza, you're all set and good to go." Bay heard the technician's voice over the speakers.

Bay stood up and buried the thoughts inside of her head until the following year. If she could have had one wish today, it was that Angelo would have had a chance to meet his grandson. Sadly, that would never come true. She rearranged her clothes and stepped out to the waiting room.

Regina looked up from the magazine she was reading.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"Same as always. The results should be in next week" Bay smiled at her "Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't break the tradition, Bay. Not after so many years. Lunch?"

Bay smiled. Regina had gone with her to her second scan when she was 20 years old and had never missed one after that. In the beginning it had been coincidence, but over the years Bay had called her whenever she had one and Regina had come. It was as if those scans where their bond to Angelo.

Bay laced her arm with hers and they walked to the little café around the corner from the doctor. Once they found a table outside, Bay pulled her sunglasses up and fastened them in her hair. She looked down at the silver placemats and frowned.

"What's up Bay?" Regina asked worriedly.

"Grey hairs. Regina, give me your honest opinion. Do I have that many?"

Regina laughed "Where did you get that idea?"

Bay shrugged "Andrea. She said we shouldn't have any more babies because we're old and have grey hairs."

Regina squinted her eyes "I don't see any at first glance. There might be the odd one here and there, but I don't notice them. I think it's genetic. Angelo didn't have any and I only got them well into my fifties."

Bay took a sip from her glass "That's better than inheriting possible aneurysms."

"That's a way to look at it. I feel like we have hardly talked since the news of the baby. How are you feeling?"

Bay placed a hand on her belly. She was definitely showing.

"I feel well. Sometimes I want to meet little Angelo so badly that I can't wait for the due date. Other times I wish I wouldn't have to deal with a new born again."

"You'll be fine, Bay. It's such a blessing to be pregnant at your age. And with a boy. Ty must be over the moon."

"He was shocked that's for sure. We all were. Now the girls are slowly getting used to the idea. They're even helping me with the chores."

"They're good girls, Bay. You did well. How are you feeling about Alexis?" Regina asked carefully.

Bay's eyes clouded over "Not well Regina. Not well at all."

Regina nodded "I thought so."

"I'm an impulsive person. I've never hid my feelings from anyone, Regina. What you see is what you get. Now I have to and it's so difficult."

"Mothers need to make great sacrifices."

Bay took a bite of bread and chewed it slowly "She's changed over the past three weeks. She's no longer the bubbly, difficult teenager. It's happening too fast for me."

Regina nodded "She needs thick skin Bay. It's a difficult career she's chosen. You do well in masking your disappointment. She can't be worried about things at home."

"When I lie in bed at night and think about all those people who will be screaming at her and try to put her down, I want to strangle each one of them personally."

"She'll get through it. She's strong."

Bay felt her eyes moisten "Regina, what if she ever comes back like Ty did? If they ever do something like that to her. I don't think I'll be able to handle it."

Regina patted her hand "Don't think about that Bay. Just think about the education she'll get and what a great girl she must be to have been accepted in the first place."

"Can I ask you something really silly?"

Regina laughed "After so many years you ask me that? Of course you can."

"Do you think that this has something to do with how she was born and stuff? The circumstances around it?"

Regina looked serious "What? That some person waved a wand over her and said: You have to follow in your father's footsteps?"

Bay nodded eagerly "Yes"

Regina burst out laughing "Bay…that is the silliest thing I ever heard."

Bay looked momentarily hurt, but then she laughed as well "Yeah…I think you are right."

**\- " -**

"Ten more, come on, and faster!" Ty looked at his watch.

Alexis panted "I can't"

"Yes you can, come on!"

Alexis scrunched up her face in pain and managed 10 additional sit-ups. Ty looked at her proudly.

"Sixty sit-ups! That's my girl."

Alexis smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. She reached for the water. Ty stopped her.

"I want 20 push-ups now. You can drink after."

Alexis prepared to protest but took one look at her father's face and she knew it would be in vain. He had put her through hell and back for the past three weeks. She groaned but turned onto her stomach.

A group of young men briefly stood next to them and looked at Alexis admiringly. One look from Ty and they quickly walked away.

Ty looked down at his daughter and the muscles that had started appearing in her back. When they first started training three weeks earlier he'd had serious doubts that Alexis would pass the stringent six week boot camp. He had been hard on her; sometimes it had almost broken his heart when he'd seen the look of defeat on her face. But he hadn't relented and slowly the look of defeat had been replaced by a look of steely determination. Alexis had cried, begged and screamed but now that she was able to do the required amount of sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups she was so damn proud of herself that Ty finally felt that it had all been worth it.

Now it was time for the next test. They had driven 20 minutes to get to a gym that specialized in gymnastics. Ty looked down at his sweat soaked daughter.

"Come on" He held out a hand.

Alexis took it and he handed her the water. She drank greedily.

"I can't wait to get in the shower." She started walking in the direction of the locker rooms.

Ty pulled her pony tail playfully.

"Not so fast, Mendoza, there's one more thing we need to do."

Alexis looked horrified "Not more, Dad, please."

Ty came to a stop in front of a rope.

"Climb it."

Alexis looked at it exhausted.

"Seriously Dad? Now? Couldn't we have done this at the beginning before my arms were killing me?"

Ty was beginning to look annoyed.

"Can we have less talking and more doing? Do you think they'll let you chose what to do when at West Point?"

Alex sighted loudly and took the rope. She started climbing, but her heart wasn't into it. She jumped back down.

"Again. Wrap one leg all the way around the rope and then step the other foot on top of both rope and foot. The higher you have your foot and the further away from you, the better."

Alexis bent down and rested her hands on her knees.

"I need a minute. Can you show me?"

Ty walked towards the rope and grabbed it while wrapping his foot around the rope. He pulled himself halfway up before jumping down.

"You got it?"

Alexis nodded and started again. She made it halfway up and shrieked loudly before jumping down. Ty looked at her worriedly.

"What is it? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I broke a nail."

It took all of Ty's willpower not to explode there and then. He turned towards his daughter and looked at her impassively.

"You know what? I've got better things to do with my time. Let's just go home."

Alexis looked at him horrified as he turned his back on her and walked away. She ran after him.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I'll do it, ok? Please don't walk away."

Ty's eyes were blazing "I can deal with your exhaustion meltdowns and help you get over them, but I can't deal with diva behavior. Is that what you're going to tell your commanding officer? That you broke a nail?"

"No, of course not Dad, I was just joking. I don't know what I was thinking."

Ty shrugged "I know you have the strength Alex, but you need to want it. You think I'm being tough? This is nothing. Those guys over there will make me seem like a puppy, believe me."

Ty saw the look of steely determination coming across Alexis face. He knew that she would do it now. She grabbed the rope and made it all the way up. She smiled triumphantly at Ty and he gave her a thumbs up.

"That's it for today."

Alexis looked relieved. She looked down and at Ty insecurely.

"Dad, how do I get down?"

Ty smiled at her and lifted his hands "I don't know. Figure it out."

Alexis groaned but slowly reversed her movements and made it down.

"I made it" She said proudly.

Ty nodded "You did. One more week and if you go on like this we might get to shoot after all."

Alexis hugged him "Thank you. I mean it. I'm sorry about the nail stuff."

Ty patted her back "Go get changed. I'll wait here."

It took Alexis more than 30 minutes and Ty was getting impatient and hungry. What the hell was she doing in there? It never took her that long.

When she finally emerged he was ready to give her a piece of his mind. Then he noticed that she'd been crying.

"Alex, what happened? Are you crying?"

"Ryan just broke-up with me." Alexis stifled a sob.

Ty did a good job at hiding his elation.

"Then he's a fool"

"He says that ever since I got accepted into West Point I'm a different person. That it's changed me and I've gone all military on him. That can't happen, can it?"

Ty groaned inwardly and felt a weight on his chest. For the first time he wondered if Bay had been right after all. He put his arm around Alexis's shoulders.

"It can Alex…it can."

_**Kansas City, the past**_

Bay stood next to the changing table slightly unnerved. Alexis was sick and she only had one diaper left. She hoped that it would last until Ty got home. She tried calling him to no avail. As he was meeting Daphne for lunch Bay tried to FaceTime her instead.

Daphne answered almost immediately.

"Hey Bay, what's up?"

"Daph, I ran out of diapers. Can you tell Ty to pick some up on his way back?"

Daphne laughed.

"Why don't you call him yourself?"

"I've tried, but he's not picking-up his phone. Aren't you having lunch with him?"

Daphne frowned "Not that I know of. I'm not eating at all with the workload I have this week."

Bay's face looked like thunder "I see. I'll speak to you later."

Daphne looked worried "Bay…wait…"

Bay had already hung-up the phone. Alexis whimpered and Bay went to check her temperature. She felt hot to the touch. Bay decided to try the ibuprofen again. She felt a cold rage seeping through her as she tended to her sick daughter. After she had administered the medication she lowered her blouse and let Alexis feed for a bit. The exhausted infant quickly dozed off and Bay placed her in her cot.

Fighting back the tears Bay pulled a suitcase from under the bed and slowly and methodically started placing all of Ty's belongings in it. She thought about the past two months her husband had been back. The messages he kept receiving on his phone that were deleted the moment Bay asked about them. The times he had stepped out of the house to have whispered conversations. The "lunches" he'd been having. For Bay everything was black and white. Ty was having an affair. He had just broken the golden rule of their relationship. She stifled a sob as she placed the suitcase in front of the door of the guest house.

Before she could burst into tears she heard Alexis cry again. Bay knew that she had to keep it together for her daughter. As she cradled Alexis in her arms, Bay felt even more furious. How could he have left her with a sick child while he went to meet some skank somewhere? Things between them were still far from the way they had been, but Bay thought that they were slowly piecing their lives together again. That was until now!

Alexis still felt hot and Bay started removing some of her clothes. Her daughter was sweating so she decided to run a bath for her. She felt a tug at her heart when she looked at the exhausted face of the baby and wished that she could take some of the suffering from her. Once Alexis was asleep again, Bay allowed herself to break down and cry.

Half an hour later she heard the key turn in the door and the thud of the chain preventing it from opening.

"Bay!" She heard Ty's voice cry out "Open the door."

Bay stayed rooted to the spot. Ty knocked on the door again.

"Come on Bay, please let me in. Please."

Bay moved as close as possible to the door so that she wasn't within sight but didn't need to shout.

"Go to hell Ty. I spoke to Daphne."

She heard Ty take a deep breath "It's not what you think Bay. Please let me in. I can explain."

"Save you're explanations for whoever you're seeing. Maybe she's interested. I'm not!"

"I'm not seeing anyone. Not like that. Please let me explain."

Bay moved to stand next to the door and Ty's heart nearly broke at seeing her swollen eyes.

"Not like that?" Bay's voice broke "So you are seeing someone."

Ty's eyes clouded over "Let's talk. I'll explain what I can."

Bay had never heard her husband sound so defeated. She stepped back and opened the door. Ty picked-up the suitcase.

"Not so fast. The suitcase stays out."

He nodded and placed the bag with the diapers on the floor.

"How's Alexis?"

Bay looked at him with eyes full of hurt.

"She's sick Ty. Just as sick as she was this morning when you lied to me and left. She's sleeping now."

Ty ran a hand through his hair.

"Can we sit down?"

Bay pursed her lips but sat on the couch primly. She folded her hands on her lap. Ty sat across from her and rubbed his hands together.

"Bay…I'm sorry. I'm not having an affair, ok?"

Bay looked at him with blazing eyes "Then you better explain why you lied to me, why your phone keeps getting messages that you delete, why you have whispered conversations outside and…." Her voice broke "And why you haven't touched me since you got back."

Ty bit his lip. He took her hand but she pulled it back. He sighed loudly.

"Bay, I love you. And I love Alexis. More than anything in the world. You have to believe that."

Bay wiped at her eyes "Well, you have a strange way of showing it."

Ty wiped his hands on his jeans, something that he only did when he was nervous.

"I'll try and explain. I'm not allowed to mention any of this so please keep it to yourself."

Bay nodded tentatively.

"When I got injured we weren't supposed to be where we were. If someone found out even years from now, the ramifications could be tremendous. That's why they took me away. They fixed my body but more importantly, they wanted to fix my head to make sure that the information never came out."

He looked at Bay. She nodded "Go on."

Ty frowned "They kept me isolated for two months. The doctors and nurses wouldn't talk to me, only the psychiatrist. They did things to my brain…I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

He saw his wife starting to look worried, but she still didn't say anything. He took another deep breath.

"One day they decided I was fixed or whatever and they put me in a plane to KC with the understanding that I would never again speak about what had happened."

Ty dropped his head in his hands.

"It's been hard Bay. I knew I needed some help, but it's not like I can walk into any doctor's office. If I mention it, they'll lock me up again."

"But you have been seeing someone Ty, who?"

"About a month ago I got a message from someone in my platoon. I can't give you his name. He went through a similar experience. I've been meeting with him once in a while. It helps to speak to him."

Bay had tears in her eyes again. She grabbed his hand.

"Oh Ty. I had no idea."

"And you shouldn't have. No one should. But you're the person who I am closest to and I can't risk our marriage over it."

"I'm so sorry. The signs were so blatant. I think I overreacted."

"Sweetheart…I would never cheat on you. Please believe that. I'll work on the other thing. I want to be with you so badly" He rubbed his eyes "For two months every time someone touched me it was to do something awful. When you touch me those memories come back. It's not you; it's just some kind of reflex."

Bay stifled a sob "I had no idea." She said again "Now it makes sense."

"But it shouldn't." Ty said angrily "And it's the same with the friend I am meeting. We shouldn't be damaged to a point where our wives can't touch us."

Bay nodded "What can I do to help?"

Ty ran his fingers over her knuckles "I can only hope for your patience. I know that I'm all messed up at the moment but I'm feeling a slight shift in the right direction."

Bay tentatively placed her hand on his cheek "Of course I'll wait. I've been a basket case myself lately. I love you."

Ty looked incredibly relieved "The time I get to spend with you and Alexis is the happiest of my life. I might not be able to show you at the moment, but if it weren't for you…I don't know…"

Bay looked horrified "Ty, don't speak like that. Ever! You hear me?"

Ty nodded "Can you forget we had this talk now?"

Bay smiled sadly "We can. What a fine pair we make. You with your PTSD, me with my PPD. I wonder how we coped until now."

Ty nodded equally sadly "I know you've had it rough as well and you can't imagine how often I want to slap myself for not being there for you."

"I'm better since you're back. Still not fine but better. Recognizing I had PPD helped me cope better with it. We will never be the same people again, will we?"

Ty shook his head "No. Probably not. But that doesn't mean things can't get better" He squeezed her hand "Can I get my suitcase?"

Bay managed a small laugh "Yes."

Alexis cried and Ty got-up quickly "I'll check on her. Have a rest. This was a hard day. I'll never leave you again when she's sick."

"It's ok Ty. I was thinking of you doing other things and it made me so angry. I'll get the suitcase."

Bay lay on the couch and closed her eyes. She felt an odd sense of peace engulf her. For weeks she'd felt a sense of insecurity when thinking about her marriage. She'd blamed herself thinking of her mood swings and her changed body. She was struggling with losing the pregnancy weight and she'd thought that Ty might have not found her attractive anymore. Now that they had spoken it all made sense. Bay felt a sense of happiness that she hadn't felt since getting the news that Ty was back. One step at a time….

_**Thank you for your continued support and reviews. You are the best!**_

_**This chapter was in response to the requests I got for tough Ty. I hope I made him justice without being too hard one him. **_

_**I so much want to do cliff hangers but I guess the secret is out of the bag when I started writing in the future. So we all know that they'll get through it but it can't all be roses all the time.**_

_**Please review!**_


	26. Careers

**_Village of Highland Falls, New York, the future_**

Bay sat down on the bed as soon as Ty had opened the door of the hotel room. She picked-up the room service menu and started fanning it in front of her face. Being six months pregnant and dealing with the humidity of New York in July was taking a toll on her.

Ty was trying to work out how the adjoining doors to the second room worked and as soon as he had opened them, they could hear Alexis and Andrea fighting about the beds.

"I want the one next to the window. That's my academy outside. I want to be the one to look at it."

"You'll get to look at it every day. I want to sleep next to the AC it's too hot in here."

Ty looked annoyed "Really girls? We've been travelling for over nine hours. Do I really need to toss a coin?"

Andrea stuck out her tongue at her older sister but threw her bag onto the other bed.

"I saw that, Andrea!" Ty said "Can you please behave like the almost grown-ups that you are?"

Andrea just rolled her eyes and Ty called out to Anita.

"Alex, Andrea look after Anita for a bit so that your mother gets some rest before dinner."

Anita looked out of the window.

"Dad, can I have the bed next to the window in your room?"

Ty smiled at her "Of course you can." He turned towards the older girls "Please be ready for us to go out in two hours."

He walked through the adjoining doors into his room and closed them behind him. Bay was lying on the bed and he sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling? You've looked better."

Bay smiled tiredly "This humidity! How do people handle this? My feet are so swollen."

Ty picked-up a couple of pillows from the other bed and placed them under Bay's feet before massaging them gently.

Bay sighted in content. "That feels good."

"Go to sleep for a bit. The girls are taking care of Anita. I told them not to bother you. I need to go downstairs to say hello to Aida."

Bay nodded and closed her eyes.

** \- " - **

Two hours later they were all sitting in a small restaurant in the village. Despite the close proximity to West Point, Ty was happy to see that there were not many uniformed people around. Bay was having a hard time as it was. The restaurant seemed to be full of families like his who were preparing to send one of their sons or daughters off.

Bay sat between Andrea and Aida. She hadn't seen her in a while and it gave them an opportunity to speak.

Alexis smiled at Aida "I'm so happy you came."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world Alex. I was so surprised to hear you were going to West Point. You must have done great for them to have accepted you."

"I'm so looking forward to starting. I never thought they would take me either. That's why I never mentioned it." Alexis smiled proudly.

"It's going to be tough Alex, but once you survive the first year it'll get better. I served with a lot of officers who came from here and they were all outstanding people."

Bay listened to their conversation with a heavy heart. Over the past weeks she'd made some progress in accepting Alexis's decision. Alexis had been so excited as the date of their travel approached that it was almost infectious.

"Mendoza and Scagliotti, I never thought the day would come when we'd meet at West Point."

They were interrupted by the booming voice of Carter. He made an impressive figure in his dress uniform with his numerous medals. He hugged Ty and Aida and greeted Bay with a kiss before sitting in between his former colleagues.

He glanced at Alexis who was shyly looking at him from under her bangs.

"You must be Alexis. I'm Sergeant Major Carter. Welcome to West Point."

"Thank you Sir" Alexis blushed.

"Has you father been putting you through your paces? Are you ready for the six week boot camp?"

Alexis managed a small smile "Yes, I think so Sir"

"I did what I could. Now it's out of my hands." Ty said.

"Are those real medals?" Anita's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"They certainly are. And you are?"

"I'm Anita. I'm 10. Did you win them at sports?"

Everyone laughed.

"Something like that. Your Dad has one too, did he never show you?"

Anita shook her head "Where is it Dad?"

"I'll show you one day."

Ty kept the medal he had received for the mission that got him injured hid in a drawer. The fact that it was sent years after he had left and the memories that came with it was too much of a deterrent for him to keep it on show.

Bay excused herself to go to the bathroom. As she came back out she ran into Carter. His eyes fixated on her belly but he didn't want to sound rude. Bay placed her hand on top of it.

"Yes Carter, I'm pregnant. We're having a boy in September."

Carter smiled "Congratulations Bay. Ty didn't say anything."

"Thank you."

"Four kids? Soon you'll be sending me a full platoon."

Bay looked horrified "No one else is going to come here Carter. I'm having a hard time as it is."

Carter patted her back "I know. Don't worry I'll keep an informal eye out for her."

Bay managed to smile at him. She'd come to like Carter over the years.

"You better! You almost caused there being no Alexis at all."

Carter laughed loudly "Are we going to have this discussion again? I think your husband might have been more at fault than I was."

Bay smiled "He might have been but you caused it."

"He's a good man Bay. And we'll do everything we can to turn Alexis into a fine officer."

Bay nodded "I'm sure you will. Shall we go back to the table?"

After they finished their dinner Ty stayed to have a couple of drinks with Carter and Aida and Bay went back to the hotel with the girls.

The next day Bay tearfully hugged Alexis goodbye. She would have one more chance to see her before she started her initial training. They decided to make use of their day off to head into New York City with the girls. Anita was enamored with Times Square and Andrea insisted on visiting the Met on her own.

When they returned to their hotel the next day Anita had decided that she wanted to become an actress and Andrea wanted to be an artist. Bay felt very relieved that none of them had been drawn to West Point.

When Bay got to see Alexis in her new cadet uniform with her short hair, she really got emotional. So did Ty. Alexis looked so proud that Bay thought she was going to explode. For the first time Bay felt happy for her daughter's career choice.

Ty hugged his daughter one last time.

"You'll do great Alexis. I'm so proud of you! I hope that we taught you never to shy away from challenges and hard work."

Alexis nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Mom and you are the most hard-working people I know. I'll get through this."

Bay and Ty waved as they saw her leave with the rest of the cadets.

Alexis blew a kiss at them "I'll call you in six weeks."

_**\- " - **_

_**Kansas City, the past**_

Sitting on her high-chair, Alexis threw the third piece of the bread onto the dining table making it land on John's plate. She laughed loudly. John tried to suppress a smile as Bay admonished her.

"Alex, you're not supposed to throw your food."

Alexis laughed again and banged her little fists on the table. She seemed to enjoy the Saturday night family dinners that had become a routine ever since John spent most of the week in Wichita. Saturday was the day he reserved for his family, especially for his granddaughter, who had him wrapped around her little finger.

Ty finished feeding her just as the rest of the family gathered around the table. Kathryn, Bay and Regina carried the food in and even Daphne was able to join them for once.

"Is she finished? Can I hold her?" Daphne asked Ty.

Ty nodded "You'll probably not get to eat anything or end up with the food all over you." He warned.

Daphne laughed "That's nothing. I'm a third year medical student. You don't want to know what ends up on me most days."

Ty looked suitably disgusted and lifted Alexis from the high-chair before handing her to Daphne. Alexis held her arms out to her father but Ty was having none of it. At least for one day a week he wanted to eat dinner in peace and was grateful for anyone who offered a lap.

He started pouring the wine while everyone got seated. Toby was the last one to arrive.

"Good of you to join us…later than expected." John raised an eyebrow.

Toby raised his hands "Hey, you know how a Saturday is at the car wash."

He slid into his chair and raised his glass towards Ty.

"When are you starting? I'm planning a trip to Germany next month to see some friends and I could use you like yesterday."

Ty managed a smile. It was not the first time they had this argument.

"I'm planning to start on Monday."

Toby looked relieved "That's good news man! I should be able to show you the ropes if we have a one month handover."

"How long will you be gone?" Bay asked.

"If all goes to plan three to four months."

Ty looked panicked and John dropped his fork "What? I thought you were visiting friends."

Toby had the grace to look bashful "Well, yeah, I am visiting friends. Actually they got me a job on a concert roadshow."

John looked angry "Is that what you do? I give you the responsibility of running my business and you just take off to be a roadie? You know that the car wash will go to you and Bay one day, right?"

Toby didn't look fazed "To Bay AND me. I managed it for a year, now Bay can do it in the form of Ty. I'm going Dad, whether you like it or not."

John looked at Bay and at Ty "Is this OK with you guys?"

Ty looked unsure "I never worked at a car wash before. If there's no other option I guess so."

John turned to Toby "One month handover, not one day less. Do you understand?"

Toby nodded in agreement.

"I better start tomorrow then." Ty said.

Bay looked at him and hoped he was ready to take on the challenge. He'd been home for four months now and every day he seemed to be doing a bit better but he avoided being around people other than her family as much as he could. Dealing with customers at the car wash the whole day would be a big change for him.

Bay in turn had been working again for the past two months and found that it helped her to keep her mind away from the troubles at home. She prayed that it would do the same for Ty. She'd have to look at her schedule as she'd been travelling quite a bit. If Ty was now going to be gone the whole day she would either have to cancel some engagements or get Regina or Kathryn to babysit.

"Mum, Regina, I need to fly to Baltimore on Monday and can't come back until Thursday. Is there any way you can look after Alex?"

Kathryn nodded "I'm here the whole week. I don't mind looking after her."

"I can also help in the evenings." Regina chimed in.

Bay smiled gratefully and was glad that the issue was settled. They would have to look for a more long-term solution at a later stage.

Regina stood behind Daphne and held out her arms.

"It's time I get to cuddle with her for a bit Daphne."

Daphne reluctantly passed her "niece" to Regina. Alexis smiled at her grandmother.

"You are the most adorable baby in the world" Regina cooed and Alexis gurgled loudly "And you look more like your father every day."

Bay laughed and Daphne winked at her "Any plans for a brother or sister soon?"

Bay blushed "Daphne, she's only eight months old."

Daphne laughed "That doesn't mean anything. Ty?"

"Maybe one day." Ty mumbled uncomfortably.

"So how's school?" Bay exclaimed, quickly wanting to change the subject of their non-existent sex life.

"I think you might want to wait until after dessert to hear about that." Daphne retorted.

Everyone laughed. By now they were used to Daphne's garish stories about her anatomy class.

It was late by the time they got back and Alexis was sleeping in her stroller. Ty carefully lifted her and carried her into the guest house. He laid her down in her cot and his daughter didn't even stir. He stayed another 15 minutes before turning off the light in the nursery and joining Bay in the bedroom.

She was looking over some paperwork and put it on the floor as soon as he lay down next to her.

"How are you feeling about starting at the car wash tomorrow?" She looked worried.

Ty shrugged "A bit nervous but I would always have been. I knew it was coming any day."

"Do you want me to cancel my trip?"

"No. Aida made plans to be there. You should go. She might be a good fit for your organisation and at this point we need all the help we can get."

Bay squeezed his hand "You'll be a fine car wash manager. Toby will show you everything."

Ty fastened a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I'll do my best. I'd hate to ruin the business you'll inherit."

Bay laughed "I feel bad about leaving Alexis the week you start working."

Ty shook his head "Don't worry. I'll make sure that I come home early to spend some time with her."

"She'll probably enjoy that more than if I stay." Bay said sadly.

"Don't say that Bay. You're her mother. She loves you."

"She does. But she loves you more. You bonded with her more in two days than I did in two months."

"It was a difficult time sweetheart. We're slowly picking-up the pieces. You'll have your whole life to bond with her and with her future brothers and sisters."

Bay looked at him in surprise "That sounds nice."

He kissed her temple "Go to sleep now."

**\- " -**

Bay hit it off with Aida from the start and she was glad she hadn't cancelled her trip to Baltimore after all. She hadn't seen her since that day when she'd met Linda three years ago and Bay could see the toll the Army had taken on her as well. She reminded Bay of Ty in that she seemed equally at a loss as to how to adapt to new surroundings.

There was no question on Bay's mind as to whether to offer her a job and Aida agreed to travel to San Francisco the following week. They spend the rest of the time going over the details with Linda, who was successfully managing the head office. Bay quickly realized that the original intent of her trip to move the office from Baltimore to KC was uncalled for as she had excellent people in both places. The trip had been a success and Bay couldn't wait to return home.

It was past seven when she arrived at the guest house. She opened the door and Ty walked towards her carrying Alexis.

"Welcome home." He kissed her.

She smiled at him and held her arms out to Alexis, who rewarded her with a big smile. Bay kissed the chubby cheeks. She put her bag down and sat on the couch with her daughter on her lap.

"Have you eaten?" Ty asked.

"Yes, I had something on the plane. How was your first week?"

Ty smiled "It was OK actually. The books are still something of an enigma to me but for the rest I really enjoyed it. You?"

"Aida accepted the job and is on her way to San Francisco. I'm so happy to have found her."

Ty nodded "I'm sure you won't regret it."

"How busy is it at the car wash?"

Ty rolled his eyes "That is one thriving business. It goes non-stop from morning to evening."

Bay patted his knee "I'm sorry."

Ty laughed "Don't be. I love it. For the first time in a long time I've kept my mind occupied with other stuff."

Alexis started crying and Bay saw that she was tired.

She got-up "I'll put her to bed."

Ty nodded "Do you want a glass of wine?"

Bay looked at him gratefully "That would be lovely. Start opening the bottle."

She carried her daughter into the nursery and laid her in her bed. Alexis started crying in earnest. Bay turned on the mobile over the bed and Alexis looked at the moving figures. She blinked a couple of times. Bay took off her blazer and held her daughter's hand. She spoke to her softly and saw Alexis closing her eyes. Bay stayed for another ten minutes and once she was sure Alexis was asleep she bent over the bars to cover her. The blanket seemed to be stuck and Bay stretched as much as she could to grab it out from the corner.

Ty had poured the wine and once he thought that Alexis was asleep, he opened the door to the nursery. He stood rooted to the spot as if he'd been struck by lightning. His wife was somewhat lying over the bars and her short skirt had ridden up her thighs giving him a glimpse of her bottom and her lacy black underwear. She was still wearing her heels and Ty had never seen a sexier sight in his life.

His mind seemed to say one thing but his body another as he moved to stand behind her. He slowly ran his hands over the creamy skin of her thighs. Bay nearly jumped at the unexpected advance. She slowly turned around.

"Ty, what are you doing…?"

Then she saw the look in his eyes and smiled as he pulled her towards him. He kissed her hungrily and let his hands roam over her body and under her top. Bay moaned loudly as she felt his hands on her breasts. She pulled off her top and gently backed him towards the door. She so much wanted to pull off his t-shirt and wrap her legs around him but something told her that she had to let him take the lead.

Once they were standing in the lounge Ty managed to pry his lips away from hers. He placed his hands around her face.

"Are you OK with this?" He asked her.

Bay looked at his smoldering eyes and realized how much she had missed that look on his face. She felt her eyes moisten.

"There's nothing I'd like more."

Ty just nodded as he kissed her again. He slowly backed her towards their bedroom. Bay removed her bra and let herself fall on the bed. Ty covered her body with his without breaking their kiss. Bay moaned when she felt his warm mouth on her neck and as he nibbled and kissed his way down her body. He reached her waist and tugged at her skirt. Bay lifted herself so that he could pull it off. He removed it together with her panties and took off his clothes at the same time.

He lay on top of Bay again and looked at her. She nodded. Their lovemaking didn't last long but Bay thought it was the best ever. It had taken six months for her husband to let his guard down and she was happy to put her own needs into the background just to have a chance to be in his arms again.

Ty looked at her anxiously "I'm sorry. That can't have been any good for you."

Bay smiled and tentatively ran her hands over his back. He didn't flinch.

"Ty, it was great. How are you feeling?"

Ty stroked her face with his thumbs "I missed being with you like this. You can't imagine how much."

Bay felt tears in her eyes again "I did too. I'm so happy you did this."

Ty moved to lie next to her "Being at that car wash helps keeping my mind away from those memories. Maybe I should've started work sooner but I was scared of the unknown. "

He took her hand and Bay circled his wedding band.

"For better and for worse." She whispered.

Ty lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it "Hopefully for the better from now on."

Bay suddenly remembered and turned towards him.

"Ty, I'm not taking anything."

He looked momentarily shocked but then he smiled.

"Do you want us to use protection?"

Bay thought it over for a minute "Not really. It all happened so fast I only just remembered."

Ty kissed the top of her head "I would love to have more children. If they are all as perfect as Alex I want a whole brood of them with you."

Bay hugged his waist tightly. He still didn't flinch.

"I think I want that too."

Ty ran his hand along her body. He kissed her again.

"Are you up for another round?" He whispered in her ear.

Bay felt a shiver running down her spine.

"Yes. Just tell me what you want me to do. I don't want to…" She wanted to say "scare you" but it didn't seem appropriate.

Ty understood "I think you can do whatever you want. I'm OK."

Bay smiled "It's been a long time."

Ty nodded as he ran his hand up her leg.

"A very long time. Let me see if I still remember…" He heard Bay moan loudly "Yes, I think that's the spot."

He smiled at seeing the look on Bay's face just before she closed her eyes.

**This is probably the last update I will be able to do this week and I hope you enjoy it. I'm going to wrap up the Alexis story line for now and maybe focus on Andrea next. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really enjoy reading your reviews and getting your feedback. Please review!**


	27. Help

_**Kansas City, the future**_

Ty closed the door to the meeting room and sat at the table next to Toby. He picked-up the sheet with the figures their assistant had printed out and quickly glanced over them again. Toby looked at him and Ty nodded. Toby turned to the five sales managers around the table.

"Ty, are your service managers joining as well?"

Ty shook his head "They're very busy today. We just took-in five cars from that fog-related incident on that 278 last week. I'll represent them."

Toby nodded and opened the meeting.

"Welcome all to our monthly meeting. And let me congratulate you on the excellent month we've had. The sales are through the roof. You'll all get a nice little bonus this month."

Everyone smiled and clapped. Toby had just successfully brokered another deal with the Germans and they were now the major supplier of the Volkswagen group in KC. Since they had a wide range of cars from economy to luxury and the demand for German cars had risen, they were able to sell more than they'd ever had before.

For the next two hours they went over the figures in detail. The service part of their operation was also doing well and Ty voiced his concern that due to the increased workload he would need to hire one additional mechanic and a trainee to avoid bottlenecks.

Just as Ty prepared to rise and check back on the damaged cars, the lights in the meeting room went out. He looked up in surprise as Mark, their senior sales man, carried in a cake.

"Happy birthday Boss!" He said and everyone started singing.

Ty smiled and looked at Toby who winked at him.

"Make a wish." He said to Ty.

Ty's only wish at this moment was that his son would be born healthy. He closed his eyes and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped. Toby lifted a huge box onto the table.

"This is a gift from all of us. It's not for you really; it's more of a birthday/baby-shower kind of thing. Open it!"

Ty took out his pocket knife to cut through the duct tape and smiled broadly when he saw the grey Audi ride-on toy.

"Wow, where did you get this? These aren't even available here."

Toby looked smug "I got our supplier back in Germany to ship it over. It has working headlights, a windshield, a lift up engine hatch and drives 2.5 mph forward and reverse."

Ty ran his hand over the box wistfully "I wish I was a kid!"

Mark laughed "I guess your son will have to wait a bit to ride it. We wanted to give you something more original. The hatch was signed by all of us, including the guys in service.

"And the service guys are here now as well!" Ty turned at hearing the voice of Riggs and smiled.

"Thanks to all of you. Little Angelo will love it. It says here it's from age 2 but if he takes after me, he should figure this out by the time he's 6 months old."

Toby opened a bottle of champagne and they made a toast to the month of July and the impending birth of Angelo.

Soon everyone went back to work leaving Toby, Ty and Briggs behind.

"Are you going to that ceremony tonight?" Ty asked Briggs.

"I'll come for half an hour or so. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I need to get back to the garage. The guys are really busy."

Ty nodded and turned to Toby.

"I have a thing today at Andrea's school. It's her first exhibition. Can you come?"

Toby looked doubtful "If it's quiet I can. What time are you leaving?"

"I need to be there at 3 but you can come any time until 5. After that we have that dinner."

Toby nodded and lifted his glass to him "So, what are you doing with your bonus this month? Put it in another college savings account?"

Ty shook his head "I bought the Spyder."

Toby looked at him in disbelief "You didn't! What good is a convertible two-seater to you and your brood?"

Ty shrugged "Bay was in love with it. I figured it would make a nice birthday present. It's not every day you have a baby at 42. She deserves that car."

Toby smiled "When I grow-up I wanna marry a guy like you."

Ty looked at him in disgust "That just ruined my lunch."

Toby laughed loudly "You can thank me later for re-scheduling all my trips to Germany until the end of the year."

Ty looked relieved "Thanks man! I really struggle with the car selling part. I don't know how you do it."

Toby shrugged "I love the selling. I don't know how you like to be holed up in that garage the whole day."

"I just prefer hanging-out with people I know. We make a good team." Ty finished his champagne and got up "I need to go."

He got into his car and drove the short distance to Andrea's school. He parked and followed the signs to the art exhibition. Once he spotted Andrea he walked over to her and was rewarded with a big smile.

"Dad! You're here. It's going to start any minute now. Where's Mum?"

"She went to collect your sister; she should be here soon."

"Great. Keep your fingers crossed that I win the first prize. It's 500 dollars."

Ty held his fingers up and smiled at her "I'm sure you will have no competition."

"There's Mum!" Andrea exclaimed.

Ty turned around and saw Bay walking or better "waddling" towards them. His wife had gotten huge over the past month and Ty figured it must be the boy thing, since she'd never had that issue with the girls before. She smiled when she reached them and Ty placed his arm around her and kissed her head before ruffling Anita's hair.

"Where are Andrea's paintings? Can I see them?" Anita looked very excited.

Andrea smiled at her "Come munchkin, I'll show you."

They all followed Andrea into the gym, which had been converted into an art gallery for the afternoon. Seven students had been chosen to showcase their work and as Bay looked at the different paintings she soon saw that her daughter was in a completely different league. The last time she'd seen her work the theme had been still objects and not Andrea's favourite. This time it was modern expression and it was right up her alley.

Andrea looked at Bay anxiously "What do you think Mum?"

Bay took her hand and squeezed it "They are fantastic Andrea. The colours and the technique are college material."

Andrea beamed at her and Ty put his hand on her shoulder.

"They are amazing." He leaned down to whisper in her ear "You've won this by a mile."

Anita was the only one who was frowning.

"What is it?" She asked confused "It's only lines and stuff. I can do that."

Andrea laughed "Course you can. Next time you can help me, ok?"

Anita was still not convinced "I liked the fruit bowls from last time."

"There are different kinds of art Andrea. This one is called modern art. When you're bigger you'll understand. Your sister prefers this to painting fruit bowls. I did too."

Anita frowned "I still think they're ugly, but yours are the least ugly of them all."

Bay, Ty and Andrea laughed and so did the people around them. They heard a voice over the speakers asking them back to the gym for the awards ceremony. There was nowhere to sit and Ty went into one of the adjoining classrooms to find a chair for Bay. She looked at him gratefully as she sat down. These last two months of her pregnancy were taking a toll on her.

They looked at Andrea who looked very nervous. Bay prayed that she would win the prize as she knew how important it was for her. The speaker announced the third and second places and Bay took a deep breath. Ty put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"And the first prize, comprising a cheque for 500 dollars and the opportunity to represent out school at the state wide competition goes to…" Bay closed her eyes as she heard the envelope being opened "Ms. Andrea Mendoza, a student in tenth grade. Congratulation Ms. Mendoza, would you please step up to collect your prize?"

Ty and Bay both looked at Andrea and gave her a heads-up as she smiled at them and made her way to the front. She shook hands and accepted the prize.

"Ms. Mendoza, would you like to say a few words?"

Andrea blushed as she picked-up the microphone.

"Thank you…thank you so much." She mumbled into it before quickly making her way down again.

Bay looked at Ty "That's YOUR daughter right there."

Ty nodded "Yes, we're not fans of crowds and speaking publicly, that's for sure."

"She gets the art from me, though!" Bay said.

Ty looked at Andrea walking towards them looking like a young Bay "Yes, and all the rest!"

Bay got-up and hugged Andrea as did Ty and Anita.

"That is so shiny" Anita was mesmerized by the cup Andrea had gotten.

Andrea ruffled her hair "If you promise me to look after it, I'll let you keep it in your room."

Andrea reverently held the cup in her hand "I promise."

Ty looked at his watch "I think we need to go home now so that your mother can have a rest before the dinner at the Mayor's. Anita can come with us and wait for the babysitter. Andrea will you stay here for now?"

Andrea shook her head "I'll go home as well and change before the dinner."

Once they were home Ty quickly sent Bay upstairs so that she could rest. He reminded his daughters to keep the noise down and joined his wife.

Bay was already stretched out on the bed and Ty sat down next to her. He ran his hand through her damp hair and pushed it away from her face.

"It's so hot" Bay complained "I'm sweating buckets"

"I know sweetheart. I'm so sorry. It can't be easy being pregnant in this heat. Do you want the fan or is the AC enough?"

"The fan would be nice."

Ty went downstairs to get it and once it was plugged in Bay closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze on her face.

"That's better. Did you have a good birthday at the office?"

"Yes. I'll tell you later. Try and sleep for a bit, I'll wake you in one hour. Are you fine with going tonight?"

Bay smiled "Of course I'm going. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm so proud of Andrea and you today. Both getting rewarded for their hard work."

She took his hand and put it on top of her belly. Ty felt a strong kick. He laughed and opened her shirt before kissing her tenderly on the spot the baby had kicked.

"You little rascal. Let your mother rest for a bit now."

He ran his hand in circles over her belly and felt Bay relax under his touch.

"That feels good" She mumbled groggily.

Ty continued to rub her until he saw she was asleep.

A few hours later they were sitting at the annual city dinner hosted by the Mayor. Bay had managed to sleep for one hour and Ty thought she looked stunning in a blue dress. Andrea sat next to him and Toby, Briggs, Mark, John and Kathryn had also made it.

Ty turned towards Briggs to ask him something and noticed that he had disappeared. A few moments later the Mayor took the floor.

"Thank you all for coming to the annual city dinner. As every year, I would like to recognize the individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to our city with a special award. This year's award is given in collaboration with the Association for Disabled Veterans and will be given to Mr. Tyler Mendoza. Over the years Mr. Mendoza has employed a variety of disabled veterans at his business and has therefore created numerous job opportunities for this very special group. Can I please ask Mr. Mendoza to join me on the stage?"

Bay kissed Ty amid the applause and he quickly got-up and walked towards the stage. As he came closer he saw that Briggs and his 15 men crew had gathered behind the Mayor. Ty felt his eyes moisten when he saw the group with ailments ranging from missing limbs to burn scars, led by Briggs and his missing arm. He hugged them all one by one before stepping-up to the Mayor and receiving his award.

He looked slightly uncomfortable as he took the microphone.

"Thank you" He mumbled "I am slightly embarrassed to receive an award for something that should be so clear cut. Standing behind me are extraordinary men who got injured in the line of duty and have in some cases been ostracized by society. Having suffered injuries myself I know how hard it is to recover and harder still if there is no place to turn to. I would like to urge all of you to help these men in every way you can. I am glad to be at the forefront of this initiative at the BTT Dealership."

Everyone cheered and Bay had never heard Ty say so much in one go. She was so proud of him and what he had accomplished.

He returned to the table followed by Briggs and received some additional hugs and congratulatory messages from Bay's family.

Briggs rose his glass to him "I'm so damn proud of you Mendoza."

Ty smiled at him sadly "Sometimes I wish we could do more."

Briggs nodded "We've come a long way from where we started."

-"-

_**Kansas City, the past**_

Toby had been back from Germany for a month. His trip that had been originally planned for 3 months had turned into a one-year adventure. He'd had the time of his life but at some point he decided that he was getting too old to be a roadie and that he should return home.

After taking one week off to settle back in and spending the second week working part-time he was ready to take-on the challenge of full-time work again.

It only took Ty and him two days to realize that one of them had to go.

They were sitting in the office trying to come up with a solution.

"We need to do something. This car wash does not need two managers." Toby ran his hands through his thinning hair.

"I agree. We cannot be sitting here and step on each other's feet."

"So what do we do? I never worked anywhere else. I don't even think I'm qualified for anything else."

"I can look for a job at a garage or something. Managing the car wash has been great, but auto-detail is more my thing."

It was as if a light went on in Toby's head.

"What if we expand this place to include a service-centre? We have the space behind."

Ty thought it over for a minute "That might work. We have a good relationship with the customers. If we work hard we might be able to do a nice profit."

"Let's talk to my father tonight." Toby suggested.

Ty left to collect Alexis from day-care. The more he thought about the idea the more he liked it. Toby and he had worked well together in the past and Ty was under the impression that they complemented one another.

Whereas Ty was more reserved and not as outgoing with the customers as Toby, the staff at the car-wash related to him much better as he came from a similar background. Toby in turn could convince nearly every customer to upgrade their car wash.

Ty had to laugh at the look Toby had perfected of looking at the cars in a slightly disdainful manner, which almost always led to the owner paying more for the service. If Toby managed to send people his way then he was sure that they would come back to service their cars there.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that he was standing in Alexis's day care room.

"DADEEEH" He smiled at his 19-month year old daughter tottering towards him with outstretched arms.

He picked her up in his arms and blew a raspberry on her neck. Alexis giggled loudly.

"How's my little princess today?"

"Pink!" Alexis said.

Ty laughed at the response for everything. Pink! Everything had to be pink.

"Are you ready to go home? Can you walk?"

Alexis shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck even tighter. Ty sighted and the teacher smiled at him.

"She's certainly Daddy's little girl, isn't she?"

Ty smiled and nodded as he bent to pick-up Alexis's bag.

He got to the guest house at the same time as Bay. Alexis threw herself into her mother's arms. Bay twirled her around.

Ty kissed her "We need to talk."

Bay looked slightly alarmed and set Alexis down on the play mat. She immediately walked towards her dolls.

"What happened?" Bay asked.

Ty quickly related the conversation he'd had with Toby. Bay didn't interrupt and was silent for a bit after he'd finished.

"I like it Ty. I really do. I think my father will stand behind that as well."

Ty looked relieved "I'm so happy to hear that. Money will be a bit tighter if we need to take out a loan to build the garage."

Bay nodded thoughtfully "I guess it's time I draw a small salary. I'll speak to Linda tomorrow."

"That would help. I know of no other head of an organization who draws a zero salary like you do."

Bay shrugged "I did it because we could. Now we can't so I'll change that."

Ty hugged her to him "I love you."

Bay kissed his neck "I know you do. And I love you."

"Are you all packed for tomorrow?" Ty asked.

Bay nodded. They were looking forward to attending Carter's graduation in Boston and to spending a long weekend alone.

"We'll drop-off Alexis with my mother in the morning and we're good to go."

Later that evening Toby and Ty pitched their plan to John. They were expecting resistance but there was none as John thought the idea was excellent. He agreed to visit the banks with them the following week. Ty and Toby celebrated with a drink.

Bay dropped Alexis off at Kathryn the following day and soon after they were on their way to the airport. Bay looked at Ty as they sat in the departure lounge.

"I think the last time we flew somewhere together was when you were deployed back to KC three years ago."

Ty frowned "You're right. We should really take a small vacation somewhere once we get back. Alex would love the beach."

Bay was ready to reply when she heard the boarding call. They settled into their seats. Ty took her hand in his and stroked her knuckles.

"Finally some time for us."

Bay leaned closer to him so that she could whisper in his ear "It's that time of the month. We could try again."

Ty looked at her full of longing "I'd love that."

They got to their hotel and Ty marvelled at the view over the Boston harbour. He looked at his watch and saw that they had another four hours before dinner. He quickly texted Aida and Carter to say that they had arrived safely.

He heard the shower being turned on and smiled to himself. If his wife was going to have a shower she was certainly not going to do it on her own. He quickly stripped his clothes off and threw them on the bed before opening the door to the bathroom. Bay didn't hear him and he pulled back the shower curtain. Bay had her eyes closed and she threw her head back to wet her hair. Ty marvelled at her naked form.

"Oi" He said quietly.

Bay opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise.

"Ty, what are you doing?"

"I thought you might want some help."

He stepped into the shower behind her and ran his hands along her body. He gently bit her neck as he circled her back.

"There's a spot here that you didn't clean properly."

Bay burst out laughing "Is there really? Well then I really appreciate your assistance."

Ty squeezed some shampoo on his hands and gently lathered her hair. Bay threw her head back and moaned as she felt his soapy hands roaming over her body.

"Ty that feels so good. I don't remember the last time we shared the shower."

Ty pulled her flush against him so that Bay could feel how much he was enjoying it too. He ran his hands up her thighs and Bay held her breath when he moved his fingers just like he knew she wanted.

He bit her ear gently "The moment we're out of this shower we're making a baby."

He helped Bay rinse her hair and she turned the water off before turning around to face him. She placed her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

Ty grabbed her bottom and squeezed it forcefully. Bay opened her eyes in surprise. This was a side of her husband she hadn't seen since before Alexis was born. Nowadays their lovemaking was more mellow and quiet.

She liked this new development…she liked it a lot! She let Ty know by running her fingernails over his back until he she felt him wince.

"Let's go make that baby!" She whispered in his ear as she ran her tongue along his jaw.

Ty just grunted and lifted her out of the shower. He threw her a towel.

"Please hurry!"

Bay dried herself as much as she could before wrapping the towel around her head. Ty grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bed. He let himself fall backwards pulling her on top of him.

Bay whimpered with desire as he greedily ran his hands over her body touching all the right places. She put her hands around his face and broke their kiss.

"I want you now!"

Ty nodded and flipped her around. He didn't hold back and made love to her long and hard. Bay wrapped her legs around his waist and let herself go.

He collapsed on top of Bay and she stroked his back.

"Whoa, what was that?" She blinked in surprise.

Ty looked at her anxiously "Was that too rough?"

Bay smiled tiredly "No…it was great! Just…different."

Ty lay next to her and took her in his arms.

"It's another thing when there's no baby sleeping next door."

Bay laughed quietly "I hope we get to go away more often then."

Ty smiled at her and winked "You're a little minx all right."

Bay stretched lazily "I thought we were saving this for tonight."

Ty shook his head and kissed her again "Tonight we're getting wasted. That's what a graduation party is all about."

Bay patted his chest "Hopefully we'll get to do more of this after we recover from the hangover. It's been ages since we've been to a party."

She reluctantly got out of bed to clean-up and blow-dry her hair. She was looking forward to a night out with Ty. These days they mostly stayed at home apart from the odd dinner here and there.

Ty thought Bay looked so hot in her little black dress and he proudly held out his arm for her as they walked into the restaurant. They greeted Carter, who looked like he'd already had quite a bit to drink and sat next to Aida. Once they had eaten they gathered around the bar where Carter was served a huge graduation cake.

They made a toast and Bay downed her third shot of tequila. She didn't remember having that much fun in a long time. Ty had his arm wrapped around her shoulder and he planted a kiss on her mouth.

He turned around when he felt Aida patting his back. He looked towards where she was motioning with her head and squinted his eyes. The face seemed familiar but the man looked so dishevelled that Ty couldn't place him. He looked at Aida with a question in his eyes.

"It's Briggs" She said.

Ty looked horrified "Are you sure?"

Aida nodded. Ty turned towards Bay "I'll be right back."

He quickly walked towards the man and patted him on the shoulder.

"Briggs?"

He saw him turn around and look at him in confusion before breaking into a smile.

"Mendoza! I had no idea you were coming."

He hugged Ty with his one arm. Ty looked at him and felt a shiver down his spine.

"Can we sit down and talk for a minute?"

Briggs nodded and they found a quieter corner.

"What happened to you? You look…"

"Awful Mendoza. I think that's the word you're looking for." Briggs interrupted him.

Ty nodded.

"It's hard to keep up appearances with no job or money to live on. No one wants to hire a cripple with one arm. Or better said…no one wants to hire cripples. Period! It's not just me. There's a lot of us."

Ty looked shocked "What do you live on?"

Briggs shook his shoulders "Disability benefits. A shitty cheque every month of which 80% goes to pay the rent of a crappy trailer. There's not much left for food and the rest."

"What do you do all day?" Ty looked horrified.

"Look for work. I go into every garage I find. They take one look at me and say no. The funny thing is I know more about those cars than most of the kids they hire. Yet no one will give me a chance."

Ty knew he needed to help and he needed to so it soon.

"Listen, I might have a solution. It might take a couple of months but I'm opening a garage with my brother-in- law. I want you to come and work for us."

Briggs looked at him with his mouth wide open.

"You would do that for me?"

Ty patted his shoulder "You taught me everything I know about those Humvees, it would be an honour to have you on my team."

Briggs looked unsure of what to say.

"What is it?" Ty prodded him.

"I…look…I don't want to seem greedy…" Briggs mumbled "I…kind of share the trailer with Peanut and he's in the same boat. You know…no leg and all that. He couldn't come today because we couldn't afford it so only one of us travelled here. It took me 32 hours by bus."

Ty nodded "You want me to offer him a job too."

Briggs blushed in embarrassment "We're not good at begging Mendoza"

Ty took out his cheque book. He wrote a cheque for 500 dollars and gave it to Briggs. He couldn't really afford it at the moment, but he would have to find some other savings elsewhere.

"Take this." Ty saw Briggs angry expression "It's not a gift man. It's a loan. You'll pay me back every penny. I'll see you and Peanut in a month. You guys can help me with getting the place built."

Briggs was choked-up with emotion. He hugged Ty. "Thanks Mendoza, you don't know what that means to me."

Ty patted his shoulder "Let's go and have a drink. Come on!"

Ty went back to join Bay and after taking one look at her glassy eyes, he removed the drink from her hand and finished it himself.

"That's enough Mrs. Mendoza. Let's dance."

Bay laughed loudly and took his hand while swaying her hips. Ty thought she looked incredibly silly and it made him smile.

He had a couple of drinks but his mind was elsewhere. He wondered how many more Briggs were out there and he vowed that he would help as many as he could.

_**This was by far the longest chapter I have ever written. I have to write in bits and pieces these days and I guess that is why they keep getting longer. I hope you enjoy it. I wasn't going to include that little scene at the hotel, but after you sent me requests for "more intimate scenes" I wrote that one for you! It's a bit more "salacious" than usual and I hope that I kept it T. Please review and send me more ideas for future chapters.**_


End file.
